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Mike Johnston Jr., head coach of the Corning football team, talks about his team on the first official day of preseason practice on August 19, 2024.
If you enjoy running (or walking) and want to support a good cause, Bampa’s House is the event for you.
Bampa’s House, located at 170 E. First St. in Corning, is a two-bedroom residential home designed to fill a gap between nursing homes and home hospice care for terminally ill residents in Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties.
All costs of running the home, including staff and utilities, are covered by fundraisers and donations, so terminally ill residents can live there for free. One of the home’s largest fundraisers will take place on September 7th.
Then Bampa’s House will host its eighth annual 5K run/march at Craig Park on Maple Avenue in Painted Post.
Last year’s event attracted around 225 people, more than ever before, and organiser Pat Keeler is hoping for an even bigger turnout this year.
“We’ve raised about $10,000 and we’re hoping to raise a little more this year. We’re hoping to raise $15,000,” Keeler said. “It all goes into the general fund to keep the house operational.”
Bampa’s House was founded by the family of 68-year-old Jim Dugan of Painted Post, a former member and president of the Corning Lions Club who died of cancer in 2016. “Bampa” was a nickname given to Dugan by his grandchildren.
Since opening in 2020, the home has helped 100 families in the tri-county region.
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Race participants can register online through Sept. 4, Keeler said, or they can register in person starting at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the 5K. The race is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and will follow the 3.1-mile trail in Craig Park.
“People are so grateful that the house is here. It’s a godsend for the families,” Keeler said. “I think a lot of families are going on the trip together. They’re doing it as a family and supporting a good cause.”
For more information about Bampa’s House and the September 7 5K run, visit bampashouse.org.
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