Virtual Hike for Hope Raises $50,000 for Family Promise

Goal!

Despite the world gradually returning to a “new normal”, to ensure everyone’s safety we made the decision to go virtual once again for the Hike for Hope. And once again we were blown away by the incredible show of support from our dedicated friends and sponsors! The Family Promise Virtual Hike for Hope culminated on Sunday, May 2nd with 191 participants and 23 teams registered, making it one of our most well-attended “hikes” to date. The best news – together, we met our goal and raised $50,960 for Family Promise and for our programs providing shelter and support for homeless working families and families at-risk for homelessness.

With the virtual format, Hikers had the ability to complete their three-mile route anywhere at any time as long as it was before the end of the day on Sunday, May 2nd. With the launch of our new Hike for Hope website, Hikers were able to participate in fun, online activities, create personalized fundraising pages for themselves and their teams, and connect with potential donors and supporters via social media, email, and text.

The weekend officially began on Saturday, May 1st with our Swag Bag Pick-Up Day in the parking lot of our Ridgewood office. All of this year’s Hikers were invited to stop by for our socially distanced, drive-thru kick-off event to pick up their official Hike for Hope t-shirts and swag bags, which were included with registration. With the help of our Family Promise Youth Council volunteers, we distributed dozens of swag bags and t-shirts to participants. DJ Scott Reddin supplied the soundtrack for the afternoon, and got all of our volunteers, staff, board members, and Hikers excited to support Family Promise!

We had an amazing roster of generous sponsors supporting the event this year: Sustainable Ridgewood, a local group that aims to educate, connect, and engage the local community on issues related to sustainability acted as the presenting sponsor, and provided resources for participants to complete their Hike locally. Visions Federal Credit Union and Freedom Bank were both returning sponsors, while Valley Bank, Bogota Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, M&T Banking all signed on for the first time.

We are so grateful for the support of all who registered, donated, fundraised, stopped by our Swag Bag Pick-Up day, posted photos, participated in online activities, and shared the Hike with family and friends. We’re already excited for next year – and look forward to an in-person Hike for Hope in 2022!