Debut of new breast cancer awareness fundraiser in Cache Valley

This year the American West Heritage Center is introducing a new element to its Fall Harvest Festival. The Witches Walk for breast cancer awareness will be introduced to Cache Valley on the second day of the festival, Oct 17.

The charity walk raises money to create comfort kits for families who have just received news that their loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer. American West Heritage Center marketing manager Rebecca Getz said getting the comfort kits to families in need is simple.

“When someone is diagnosed, the hospital gives them a card that has a code on it. From there they can enter it in at comfortkit.org and then a comfort kit will be sent to that family for free,” Getz said.

Administrative assistant Sarah Gunnell said the kits are made in partnership with Malouf, a fine linen manufacturer, and contain things like fuzzy socks, blankets, pajamas and other things to help console a grieving family.

“We want to build 1,500 comfort kits and each person can make up to three kits so our goal is to get at least get 500 people to attend the Witches Walk. If we have more than that we will be thrilled,” Gunnell said.

If tickets are purchased on the day of the festival visitors will have access to all of the fall festivities from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. including the harvest festival, the Witches Walk for breast cancer awareness, the corn maze on the farm and the haunted hollow.

“It’s a really cheap ticket for everything that you get, it’s cheaper than a movie ticket and you get to do all kinds of really hands-on activities -- shoot BB guns, throw tomahawks, ride the ponies, be a part of the witches walk and do the service project. It’s really quite an incredible thing that’s going on,” Getz said.

Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for Children ages 3-11 and $5 for students and seniors. More information for the witches walk for breast cancer can be found at https://www.awhc.org/index.php/witches-walk/