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Date: 5/5/2022
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Jack Jonah Foundation is selling tickets to Jack’s Walk, a fundraiser 5K on May 14 around the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke.
The woods around the Ashley Reservoir were a favorite walk for Jack Jonah, a West Springfield resident who died in 2016 at age 19 from an accidental drug overdose. In 2018, his father Kirk established a nonprofit foundation in his memory. The mission of the Jack Jonah Foundation is to raise awareness and promote education to prevent drug addiction, to remember those who have died of overdoses, and to support treatment for those currently fighting addiction.
This year’s Jack’s Walk will begin at 9 a.m. with a pre-walk tie-dye party, followed by a speaking program at 10:45 a.m. West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt, Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi and Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni are expected to speak, and Kirk will offer closing remarks and lead a moment of silence. The walk itself begins at 11 a.m. A reception follows at the Elks Lodge on Whitney Avenue, noon to 2 p.m.
Registrations are being taken online at jackjonahfoundation.org. Tickets are $20 for adults, free for youth 18 and under. The foundation wants as many people to attend as possible; those for whom a paid ticket would be a financial hardship should reach out to kirk@jackjonahfoundation.org.
Donations to the 501(c)(3) foundation are also accepted, at Jack Jonah Foundation, P.O. Box 162, West Springfield, MA 01089. Donations and proceeds will benefit community programs such as the Jack Jonah Foundation and the Michael J. Dias Foundation.
Limited parking will be available at the Elks Lodge at the entrance to the reservoir on Whitney Avenue. Those arriving after 9:30 a.m. should park at PeoplesBank, 330 Whitney Ave., Holyoke, where shuttle service to the reservoir will be provided.