Strong Connections
On October 1, we kicked off celebrations for Ostomy Awareness Day in Durham, NC. Early in the morning, 200+ participants assembled for the Run For Resilience Ostomy 5K and the day was off to a great start!
We’re a proud Platinum Sponsor of all of the Run for Resilience 5K events. These races all started back in 2014, when two dedicated Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses (WOCN) created an event in Durham, in honor of World Ostomy Day. This year, Hollister Senior Ostomy Specialist, Antoinette Delio, and Secure Start Home Health Coordinator, Sean Kelly, greeted and cheered on participants. Of course, they also caught up with the clinicians, patients and families that they’ve known for years in the community.
“It’s great to interact with the people who use our products and get positive feedback about how using them has made a difference in their lives,” said Antoinette.
The races have always been family events, designed to educate, support and raise community awareness about people living with an ostomy. The Durham Run for Resilience was no exception. Antoinette’s daughter ran the coloring station for kids and her nine-year-old son ran the 5K. The highlight for the kids was an appearance by Wool E. Bull, the mascot of the Durham Bulls baseball team.
Our team provided Hollister pouches for participants to wear during the events with the goal of improving awareness and educating about some of the challenges faced by people living with ostomies. In addition, we handed out IBD & Ostomy Awareness ribbons to participants.
Additional races were held from coast to coast and overseas. Races took place throughout October in Boise, Idaho; Birmingham, Alabama; and Portland, Oregon. People who were not able to physically attend the events were encouraged to run their own virtual 5K. Runners/walkers pay a registration fee and receive a T-shirt. All proceeds benefit the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA).
We are impressed by the enthusiasm and support we see within the ostomy community, and pleased to share with you the highlights of each wonderful event.
If you have questions about any of the events we have featured, or would like to get involved, let us know! Call us at
