Alyssa’s Hike for the Hearts will take place on Sept. 20 at Goodyear Metro Park.
The fourth annual hike is set to begin at 10:45 a.m. but registration will begin at 9:30 a.m.
The hike is a memorial and fundraiser in honor of Alyssa Ann Calaway, who was suddenly taken from her family Sept. 12, 2002 by an illness called Myocarditis. Essentially, Alyssa’s heart was damaged when her body tried to fight a virus she’d had. An hour after having seen a doctor, and being sent to the hospital to receive intravenous fluids, Alyssa passed away.
There is much still unknown about this condition and half the money raised at the hike each year gets donated to Cleveland Clinic for research about Myocarditis.
“This way it is local and we can check on the progress of the research,” said Alyssa’s grandmother, Mary Homsher.
Cleveland Clinic has begun research on how to define the early symptoms of Viral Myocarditis.
The other half goes to Camp Carl where school age children go to learn about God, whom Alyssa so loved.
The family received a card from Alyssa’s last school assignment, on which the teacher had asked the students to write what they believed. Alyssa wrote she believed God is the best of all people, that she believed she would go to heaven when she died, and that she believed Jesus died for everybody. It was signed by Alyssa and dated with the last day she was in school.
“That is why the name of this event is so important,” Homsher said.
Their Web site alyssashike.org reads, “The first ‘heart’ is the physical heart that needs attention and doctors; the second ‘heart’ is the emotional one that needs attention and direction.”
The funds raised during the past four years of this event total more than $70,000. More than 250 children have been able to go to camp from the half of the funds that go to the camp.
The hike was originated by Alyssa’s mother Sarah Calaway after going online and researching.
“When Lyssie died we had never heart of this disease,” Homsher said. “Sara went online and found Abbey’s Run for the Heart and spoke to her.”
Homsher said the family just wanted to do something.
For more information visit www.alyssashike.org.
