Hooping for a cause

Joannah Ralston of Shelburne hula hooped the entire 5K Fun Run and Jiggety Jog while raising $2,120 for the Visiting Nurse Association’s (VNA) Vermont Respite House on Saturday, May 10 in Burlington. Ralston was the top individual fundraiser at the event. Respite House is a cause close to Ralston’s heart; as a hospice volunteer, Ralston said she has been privileged to provide comfort to people with terminal illness and their families alongside compassionate hospice nurses and other volunteers. “It’s like being in a room full of angels,” Ralston said of her experience as a hospice volunteer. The event raised $60,000 to date for Vermont’s only hospice home. Photo by Daria Bishop for the VNA