On Sept. 28th, Red Deerians are invited to come out to celebrate the work RNs do to change and save lives.

“We have a new name. We’re called the Lantern Walk. Lantern has RN highlighted in it,” said Shireen Bell, a registered nurse and educator at Red Deer College.

The event, which used to be held in the spring, is now held in the fall, so that it’s darker for the use of lanterns to light up the sky.

Bell added that this year, they changed it from a run to a walk as they wanted to slow down the pace so that people are able to talk and walk, reflecting on the work that a registered nurse does and the contributions they make to the community.

This year will see lots of glow, bling and lanterns and luminaries to light up the sky in honour of RNs or loved ones who have had to go into the healthcare system to be taken care of.

The event will take place at Bower Ponds, with registration starting at 6:45 p.m. and the walk commencing at around 7:15 p.m. Once the walk is done, participants are invited to head to the Red Deer Golf and Country Club for an after party featuring a barbecue, silent auction and a fun time.

“A lot of great community members have already stepped up and donated some fabulous prizes. It’s been really well received in the community and we’re looking forward to really building this event,” said Bell.

The overall event is a fundraiser dedicated to improving the health of Albertans through registered nurses.

“I’ve been an acute care registered nurse for 30 years and I know as a government worker we have little and sometimes no access to that ongoing financial support for continuing education.”

Bell added that their mantra they usually open with is, “Every 12 hour shift a registered nurse covers an average of six kilometres and we say every kilometre means an Albertan’s life is being changed or saved by a registered nurse.”

Registration for the event is $35 for an individual and team and $25 for the after party and barbecue. For more information visit arnet.ca.