2010 Albemarle Hospice

Regatta and 5k Run

August 7, 2010

History of the

National Hospice Regatta Alliance

The National Hospice Regatta Alliance (NHRA) is a national network of charity sailing regattas which raise money and community awareness for hospice care for individuals facing a terminal illness and the people who care and grieve for them. There are twenty-six NHRA regattas along with the National Hospice Regatta Championship and each individual regatta serves as a qualifying race for the National Hospice Regatta.

The first hospice benefit regatta began in 1982  and was hosted by Virginia Brown as a fundraiser and forum for raising community awareness about the nature of hospice care for the Hospice of Northern Virginia. The concept has since been adapted by volunteers around the country for their own communities.  Currently there are 10,000 people that either sponsor, donate, or volunteer for hospice regattas across the nation.  There are 9,000 people that serve as the skippers and crew members of boats in the twenty-six NHRA regattas.  Together, these 19,000 people raised over $1.1 million in 2009 for the 500,000 people that are hospice patients, family, and friends. 

Through the support of skippers, crew members, community members, and volunteers over $13.8 million has been raised for hospice services around the nation since 1982.

For more information on the NHRA visit www.hospiceregattas.org