By Lauren Eberle
Dale Burton was a cherished uncle to 10 nieces. When we were young, he would take us on “Alligator Walks” around his Winston-Salem, North Carolina neighborhood to teach us about nature and animals, two of his passions.
My Uncle Dale lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in June, 2010. While searching for a way to honor this phenomenal man, I came across the Hirshberg Foundation website and immediately knew that this Foundation would become a special cause for our family.
On November 6, 2010, the day after Dale’s 59th birthday, more than 30 dear friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and dogs gathered for the inaugural Dale H. Burton Alligator Walk, a 5K loop beginning at his home. Participants proudly wore purple and carried balloons and smiles as we walked (and ran) through the neighborhood where Dale grew up.
Through generous sponsorships, we reached our $3,000 goal and have already made plans to continue the event annually on Dale’s birthday weekend. In this way, we look forward to honoring his loving spirit, while doing our part to keep the hope alive so that other families won’t have to suffer such an enormous loss.
For more information about upcoming Alligator Walks, visit https://pancreatic.org/memorial/alligatorwalk.