Hope After Loss
Footprints on Our Hearts Walk and 5K
Posted a month ago
When
Oct 11, 2026
8am – 1pm
Where
Hubbard Park - Meriden, CT
Description
This event brings nearly one thousand members and supporters from our loss community together for a meaningful and hope‑filled day of connection. Participants can run in the 5K, walk in the Remembrance Walk, and/or attend the Remembrance Ceremony where babies’ names are read aloud. The atmosphere is caring and supportive, with food, crafts, activities, and a resource‑vendor corner designed to uplift and honor loss families.
As our largest community gathering, the Remembrance Walk & 5K grows every year, and it’s our volunteers who make that possible. Their presence ensures every attendee feels seen, supported, and welcomed. Whether cheering on runners, assisting with registration, guiding families, or simply being available to answer questions, volunteers play an essential role in creating the compassionate experience our community has come to rely on.
If you’re interested in being part of this year’s event, please contact Jennifer Cretella‑Brown, Executive Director, at 203‑204‑3903 or jennifercb@hopeafterloss.org. We would be grateful to have you join us in showing up for families who need community support and remembrance programming.
About Hope After Loss
Hope After Loss, formerly the Hygeia Foundation, was founded in 1995 by Dr. Michael R. Berman to offer online support to families grieving pregnancy or infant loss, becoming the first physician‑led network of its kind and connecting more than 24,000 individuals. What began as a virtual community grew in 2007 with our first in‑person, peer‑led support group in New Haven, guided by our Parent Advisory Board. As our volunteer‑driven model expanded, we added trained facilitators, one‑on‑one support, a lending library, burial gowns and blankets, and later our Burial Assistance and Professional Education programs. Today our mission remains to support those who experience pregnancy and or infant loss by providing a community of connections, comfort, and compassion. Guided by our values of compassion, acceptance, empathy, respect, and inclusion; we reach out our hands to all those who grieve the loss of a baby and walk out of the darkness together.Losing a much‑wanted baby can feel like being plunged into darkness, and finding your way forward is never simple. But when others reach out with understanding and compassion, the path becomes a little easier to navigate. By honoring and remembering our babies together, we support one another through grief and slowly rediscover moments of light, connection, and hope.Today, a small staff and dedicated volunteers carry this mission forward, ensuring no family has to navigate the loss of a pregnancy or infant alone.