Warm Hearth Village holds remembrance walk to honor victims of VT shooting
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR)—35 Warm Hearth Village (WHV) residents, employees, and family members walked 3.2 miles on their campus in honor and remembrance of the 32 lost at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007.
Many residents at Warm Hearth have direct connections to Virginia Tech and to people who were involved in that day. The walk at the retirement community starts with a group photo and solemn words to remember the day for those who were lost, the first responders, and those who were healed.
“This is our first time being part of the walk at Warm Hearth as we’re new to the community,” said resident Ken Winans. “It was special to see the way residents here come together in support of the greater community Warm Hearth is great that way and we feel lucky to be a part of a community that cares.”
WHV residents and former Virginia Tech Agricultural Education professor and department head John Hillison, along with retired physician Dr. Richard Shephard mapped out the 3.2-mile campus walk and recruited the walkers.
Hillison was part of the first Virginia Tech Run for Remembrance in 2008 and has participated every year since. “This year as I walked, I shared my experience with another walker who was a student at the time,” Hillison said. “It’s the first time I’ve done that and I realized just how much we all still have to process.”
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