Leonardtown Run For Hospice Raises $125K In 29th Annual Event

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Runners, walkers and pets gathered Saturday morning in Leonardtown for the 29th annual Run and Fun Walk for Hospice of St. Mary’s, continuing a long-standing community tradition supporting hospice and bereavement services for local families.

The event featured a 10K and 5K runs and a fun walk, beginning at the St. Mary’s County Governmental Center and winding through historic Leonardtown and surrounding rural roads. Participants of all ages took part in the annual fundraiser, which organizers say has become one of the community’s most enduring spring events. 

Proceeds from the event support Hospice of St. Mary’s, a nonprofit organization providing end-of-life care, bereavement services and comfort care for residents and families throughout St. Mary’s County. The organization focuses on improving quality of life for patients facing life-limiting illnesses and helping families navigate difficult transitions with compassionate care.

More than 1,100 participants from across the region registered for the St. Mary’s County event. The donation window for 29th Run and Fun Walk for Hospice of St. Mary’s will remain open for additional donations, while the main event raised more than $125,000 from community members, organizations and regional participants supporting the Hospice of St. Mary’s.

Jimmy Dicus, longtime organizer of the event, said the event is both a major fundraiser and a community-driven show of support for Hospice of St. Mary’s. He said every net dollar raised stays local and helps fund comfort care for terminally ill patients, along with bereavement services for families, including children who have lost a parent or sibling and parents grieving the loss of a child.

“This is Southern Maryland’s biggest run, fun walk, and every penny benefits Hospice of St. Mary’s County in providing comfort care and support to those diagnosed with a terminal illness. It also funds bereavement programs for children who lost parents or parents who lost children,” Dicus said.

Dicus said this year’s event was the strongest yet financially, while noting the fundraiser had crossed the $1 million mark several years ago. He highlighted donors like the Turbush family as one example of the event’s impact, saying they have returned for 11 years and had raised more than $30,000 this year alone as a team — in honor of Sofia Turbush. He described those stories as central to what the event represents.

“The community makes it happen,” Dicus said. “Everything’s donated — the crowd control barriers, everything. It’s just a great community event. This just means so much to our community.”

Dicus also pointed to the broader role hospice funding plays in the county, explaining that proceeds support more than direct patient care. According to Dicus, funds have helped cover bereavement programming, including Camp Sunrise, partnerships offering grief support, and even facility needs such as a new roof for the Hospice House in Callaway. He stressed that hospice care is not limited to the six-bed house itself, but extends into patients’ homes, relatives’ homes and facilities such as the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home.

“We do have bereavement programs for children who’ve lost a parent or sibling. We have bereavement programs for parents who lost children, and that need — that’s probably the hardest thing anyone has to go through,” Dicus said. “Most of the patients are seen at their residence, or at the veterans home, or wherever they may be. We go wherever they are.”

Dicus also highlighted the Defender’s Cup, which he founded as part of the event, saying it honors service members from St. Mary’s County killed in the line of duty. He described this year’s military remembrance as especially moving, with guests tied to the legacy of segregated tank battalions and hospice advocacy, underscoring how deeply the event connects local memory, service and compassion.

“Every year for the past 26 years, I founded this trophy competition called the Defender’s Cup to remember those men and women from St. Mary’s County who were killed in the line of duty,” Dicus said.

Participants Reflect On Personal Impact Of Hospice Care

Sisters Glenda Holly and Angela Butler said they take part in the Run & Fun Walk to support hospice services while staying active, describing the event as both personal and community-centered. Holly said her family relied on hospice care, which deepened her commitment to the event and its mission.

“We lost a sister to pancreatic cancer, and we had to use hospice,” Holly said. “You never know when you will need hospice. So that’s the main reason I do it, to support the cause.”

Both women said they have been attending the run for more than 20 years, making it a long-standing tradition. They described the event as something they return to year after year for the sense of connection it brings. Butler said she enjoys seeing the large turnout and the friendliness of participants.

“It’s always nice to see the number of people that come out, and everyone is so friendly,” Butler said. “Afterwards, you get to connect with people that you know and people that you meet for the first time.”

Joshua Quinn said he participated in the Run & Fun Walk as part of his company’s involvement, noting that SMX serves as a sponsor of the event. Quinn said the company’s participation reflects its roots in St. Mary’s County and a broader effort to give back to the local community.

“My employer, SMX, is a sponsor of the race, and to show support for hospice,” Quinn said. “SMX started out in Hollywood, Maryland, here in St. Mary’s, so we like to just give back to the community.”

Now in his second year attending, Quinn described the event as a strong example of community support, where businesses and residents come together around a shared cause. 

“I really like to see the whole community coming back and coming together to support a great cause,” Quinn said. “I like seeing everybody just banding together for a common cause.”

Quinn also emphasized the importance of the mission behind the event and the collective participation it draws.

Jennifer Garcia said she participated in the Run & Fun Walk for the first time to support the cause and take part in a community-centered event alongside her daughter Gianna. Garcia, a runner from Hollywood, said she was drawn by both the opportunity to stay active and the sense of community she observed among participants.

“I like the community of it — everybody coming out to support each other, and the exercise too,” Garcia said. 

Garcia said her family has not personally relied on hospice care, but she noted hearing positive experiences from friends, reinforcing her desire to support the organization.

Garcia and her 11-year-old daughter participated together in the 5K, with Gianna describing the experience more simply as a fun activity and a chance to be active. Garcia added that the event also served as an opportunity to introduce her daughter to the purpose behind the fundraiser and the role hospice plays in supporting families.

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Mike Alderson said he participated in the Run & Fun Walk as a personal tribute, honoring his late in-laws who received hospice care. Alderson described hospice as a critical support system for families during difficult times, emphasizing its role in providing care, comfort and compassion.

“I try to do this every year. I do this in memory of my in-laws,” Alderson said. “Both of them went through hospice care, hospice is an amazing organization.”

Alderson said he tries to attend the event each year, and he described the run as a well-attended event that brings together residents, public officials and community members in support of hospice services, particularly in a county where many families have been touched by end-of-life care.

“At your darkest times, they’re there with you, with support and everything,” Alderson said. “This is our way of supporting them and showing our love.”

Alderson also mentioned the Hospice of St. Mary’s facility in Callaway as an important local resource, praising both the facility and the people who work there.

“The hospice house down in Callaway is an amazing facility,” Alderson said. “The people who work there are just a different level of person that walks on this earth.”

Ashley Walters, a community health manager with MedStar Health, said the organization’s presence at the Run & Fun Walk reflects its ongoing role in supporting community health and local families in St. Mary’s County. Walters said MedStar attended the event to support hospice services and connect residents with community health resources and educational programs.

“We offer a lot of community health education classes and events,” Walters said. “We’re promoting our new, up-and-coming classes and farmers markets and things like that for MedStar Health.”

Walters said that MedStar Health serves as a primary healthcare provider in the region, and that events like the hospice run are an important way to engage with the community beyond clinical care. 

“It’s important for us to be here to show our support for the families who have used our services,” Walters said.

At The Finish Line, Competition Meets Cause

Brandon Demers from Chesapeake Beach crossed the finish line first in the 5K, continuing a long personal connection to the Run & Fun Walk. Demers said he has participated in the event on and off since he attended Leonardtown High School and described it as a “hometown race” that he makes a point not to miss.

“It’s like the little hometown race — which isn’t so little anymore — it’s huge. I can’t pass it up,” Demers said. “I ran this race as a high schooler. I remember we would come here and run it a long time ago.”

Demers said the event has grown significantly over the years, both in size and visibility, while still maintaining its local roots. While focused on competition, Demers also reflected on the deeper meaning behind the race, noting that his connection to hospice became more personal after losing his mother-in-law to cancer two years ago.

“Until it hits you close to home, you don’t always see the impact,” Demers said. “It’s especially close to my heart now.”

Ultramarathoner Michael Wardian said he returned to the Run & Fun Walk to support the hospice mission and reconnect with the local running community. Wardian, who finished first in the 10K, said he has participated in the event on and off for more than a decade after first being introduced to it years ago.

“It’s always fun to be here,” Wardian said. “The race director invited me back, so I came back to support this year.”

Wardian said this year’s appearance came at the invitation of race organizer Jimmy Dicus, and also aligns with his broader involvement in regional endurance efforts, including a 200-mile run tied to MedStar Health. Despite his global racing background, Wardian emphasized the importance of community-based events like this one, where the focus extends beyond competition to purpose-driven participation.

“I think that’s one of the most important things about this race — you’re getting to run for somebody else,” Wardian said. “You’re doing it for a great cause, and it goes to charity.”

Wardian said races tied to charitable causes stand out in his career, noting that events like the Run for Hospice allow runners to contribute to something larger than themselves while raising awareness and support for critical services.

“Anytime I get a chance to put myself behind something like that, I’m going to take advantage of it,” Wardian said. “I’m so glad so many people participated this year.”

Run For Hospice: A Southern Maryland Tradition

First held in 1996, the Run for Hospice began as a Maryland Day event at St. Mary’s Ryken High School before moving to its current location at the Leonardtown Governmental Center in 1997. Over nearly three decades, the event has grown to include multiple race options, expanded participation and a post-race community brunch for participants and supporters.

Dicus said the event’s continued growth and community involvement through the years, with themes and milestones marking its evolution.

This year’s event marked the 29th annual gathering, continuing a volunteer-driven tradition that has supported Hospice of St. Mary’s since its inception. The event has remained a staple of the local calendar, bringing together participants, county officials, first responders, sponsors and volunteers in support of hospice care services in the county. 

The Run for Hospice is held annually in Leonardtown and is organized by volunteers and community partners supporting Hospice of St. Mary’s and its mission to provide compassionate care and support for local families.

Results for the 29th Run Fun Walk for Hospice of St. Mary’s

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