The Garrett Webber Memorial Scholarship Fund, a Lakeside, California-based nonprofit, will hold its annual We Walk for Hope 5k at 9 a.m. May 3 at Santee Lakes, 9310 Fanita Parkway in Santee. The scholarship fund helps people suffering from substance addiction start treatment that they otherwise couldn’t afford and gives their families solace and hope.
Founder Wendy Webber said she started this fundraiser after her son Garrett died in 2017 due to a heroin overdose at the age of 22.
“He had struggled with addiction for about five years,” she said. “After he had passed away and we held his celebration of life, in lieu of giving flowers we had asked people to donate to the Garrett Webber Memorial Scholarship Fund that we had just very casually started so if there was anyone else that we knew who needed help with addiction treatment but did not have the means to get into treatment, maybe we could help them out.”
Webber said her husband is a deputy sheriff, they had great insurance, and the financial capability for providing him treatment, and was always able to help him.
“But that is not the case with many other people,” she said. “So, we were very shocked at the amount of money that was donated. That Thanksgiving Day we were walking in the Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day Walk, and it just occurred to me that maybe we could do a walk, raise money annually and make this a thing.”
“I just want people to realize that addiction impacts every kind of person, every kind of family,” she continued. “People were just so shocked. We were this tightknit family. My husband is a cop. I managed a medical practice. My kids went to Christian schools their whole life. There is nobody removed from it. We just want to remove that stigma so that families who do unfortunately have addiction come into their life, especially with a child, they do not have to feel the shame and embarrassment.”
For more information about the walk, visit www.garrettwebbermemorialscholarshipfund.com/get-involved.
