PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – Three months after baby Macey Whittaker was born on May 19, 2010, at the Women’s Center at Princeton Community Hospital, she tragically passed away due to SIDS.
Over 3,000 infants die from SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome every year.
On Saturday, April 9 Macey’s parents Emilie and Garret Whittaker, along with the PCH volunteer auxiliary will be hosting the Sixth Annual Macey Whittaker SIDS Awareness 5k Walk and Run.
This makes the first year the race has been held in person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are so excited this year to be able to have it in person because it makes such a big difference just to bring everyone together and to have that fellowship with the runners, and to really just be able to spread the word together,” says HR Generalist at PCH, Jillian Cockerham.
Both runners and walkers are encouraged to participate in the 3.1-mile race.
It will begin on the far end of the parking lot of the Princeton Community Hospital. The race will go through Princeton City Park and then return to the hospital parking lot.
The proceeds from the race will be used to fund safe sleep sacks for babies born at the Women’s Center, along with other necessary items to support SIDS prevention.
“SIDS affects so many families, and you don’t really hear about it very often until it has affected an infant, until there has been an infant pass away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, so it’s very important to us to raise that awareness in the community,” Cockerham says.
The sleep sacks will be presented to all families of infants upon discharge from the hospital.
The race will begin at 8:30 a.m. You can register for the race online by visiting Tristate Racer. There will also be on-site registration before the race at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.
