'I walk for my mom'

KOOTENAI — Some wore bright pink tutus.

Other Litehouse employee owners wore Barbie pink leis or a pink cap just peeking through a warm jacket to ward off the early autumn chill. Still others wore any number of pink clothing, from shirts to vests to jackets.

They all, however, wore bright smiles as they cheered and waved while walking the roughly 1-mile pathway around the area surrounding the company's headquarters.

The walk, held in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is the first of what is expected to be a monthly effort to raise awareness about cancer and other illnesses facing employees and the community, said Hailey Dunn, HR business at Litehouse.

"At Litehouse, we recognize that many of our employee-owners have been personally affected by breast cancer, either directly or through someone close to their heart," she said. "This awareness walk is a powerful reminder that we are not alone on this journey."

Dunn said the Litehouse family stands united, offering unwavering support to one another, no matter the distance; the walk, she added, is just a tangible expression of that support. 

"Together, we demonstrate our solidarity and commitment to supporting each other through every step of this fight," she added.

The walk at the company's headquarters wasn't the only walk held by Litehouse crews. Walks were also held at its Ella Avenue production facility, as well as at its facilities in Lowell, Mich., Hurricane, Utah, and Danville, Va.

Several dozen employees took part at the Litehouse corporate office, with another 15-20 taking part remotely. Several dozen employees at the Ella Avenue facility also took part, with walks held during each of the three shifts. Strong participation was also noted at walks in the other communities, officials said.

While this month's walk aimed to raise awareness and perhaps inspire others to hold similar events, Dunn said it's just the start of what Litehouse has planned. 

Each month, a walk or similar event will be held to show both support and raise health awareness. The company is hoping to not only acknowledge and support employees who have fought or who are fighting cancer; they want to encourage community involvement and individual participation in such events.

Whether it is as simple as holding a short walk during lunch, encouraging everyone to get appropriate health screenings to help stay healthy or showing support, there is a lot companies and individuals can do to be a part of helping fight cancer.

It is, Dunn said, a matter of being involved with each other in a positive way.

"Litehouse tries to be involved in the community as much as possible, and things like this are a huge part of being able to do that," she said.

While they have supported events such as Jacey's Race in the past, the walk around its corporate headquarters and at other Litehouse facilities might have been the first, but it won't be the last. Employees loved the event and have already said they want to do more such activities.

After the walk, several dozen of those who had taken part gathered for a group photo to show off posters they'd created to show who they had walked for.

"Walking for Carol"

"I walk for Karen."

"I walk for my mom."

"I walk for all (employee-owners) impacted."

"We walk for Kristin."

"I walk for my aunt."

"I walk for my wife, Lisa."

    Litehouse employees wave as they head out on the company's breast cancer awareness walk on Friday.
  

    Litehouse employees smile and wave as they take part in the company's breast cancer awareness walk on Friday.
  

    Litehouse employees pose for a group photo Friday along with the posters they created showing who they walked for during the company's first breast cancer awareness walk.