Gifford’s 20th Annual Last Mile Ride, Run & Walk Brings Community Together and Raises $162,000 for End-of-Life Care

RANDOLPH, VT – This past weekend, 655 participants gathered in Randolph for the 20th Annual Last Mile Ride, Run & Walk, honoring loved ones and raising critical funds for Gifford’s end-of-life care programs.

Across two days of events—including a motorcycle ride, bicycle rides, 5K run, and a walk—community members carried forward the spirit of compassion and remembrance that has defined the Last Mile for two decades. Together with the support of 58 business sponsors, this year’s event raised $162,000, bringing the cumulative total raised since 2006 to more than $1.8 million.

Event Participation

• Motorcycle Ride: 126 bikers, plus 49 passengers, traced an 87-mile scenic route.
• Cyclists: 43 riders completed road and gravel courses.
• 5K Run: 162 runners took to the streets of Randolph on Friday evening.
• Walks: 275 participants joined together to walk through downtown Randolph.

Event Highlights & Results

• 5K Top Finishers
  • Male: Benjamin Mattern – 17:24
  • Female: Amber Gurske – 21:50
  • Full results available online at: https://802timing.com/results/25results/25results.html
• Raffle Winners
  • $1,000 – Erin Tortolano and Careen Floyd
  • $1,500 – Patricia Mayer
  • $2,500 – Carol Bushey
• Handmade Quilt Winner – Jenny Wright

Community Support

Local businesses once again stepped forward as sponsors, with 58 sponsors contributing $84,525 toward this year’s total. A complete list of sponsors is available at giffordhealthcare.org/lastmile.

A Community Legacy

“The Last Mile is proof of what happens when people come together with purpose,” said Michael Costa, Gifford President and CEO. “Every mile ridden, every step taken, every dollar donated is an act of kindness that eases someone’s final journey. That’s the legacy of compassionate care that this event has honored for 20 years.”

From heartfelt memorials to roaring motorcycle engines, from children running in memory of grandparents to veterans standing guard along the ride route, the 20th Annual Last Mile Ride, Run & Walk was a resounding success and a testament to the power of community.

For more about the Last Mile or to support Gifford’s end-of-life care programs, visit giffordhealthcare.org/lastmile or call 802-728-2380.

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Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester; and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit; many surgical services; daycare; an adult day programs; and a 30-bed nursing home. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. As a community health center and medical home, Gifford’s mission is to improve and manage the health of the people we serve by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care, and by promoting the health and well-being of everyone in our service area.