DANVERS — When an expected 5,000 walkers step off for the 25th annual Walk for Hospice of the North Shore Greater Boston tomorrow morning, the Tarricone family will be in front of their home, serving free lemonade just like they have every year since 2005.
It’s a wonderful gesture that’s been well-received over the years by thirsty walkers. But this year the tradition will carry even more meaning for the Tarricones.
Last month, Jean Tarricone’s father, Robert Gudaitis, spent a week at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers before he died on Aug. 18 at age 80, only three weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer. The care and emotional support of the Kaplan House staff in those final days meant a lot to the Tarricones.
“It’s just such a beautiful place of peace and love,” Jean Tarricone said. “We felt blessed that we had a place like this so close to us. It’s a great resource for our community.”
The Tarricones started the lemonade stand at the suggestion of Zachary Tarricone, who was 8 years old at the time and wondered what the family could do for all of the walkers who passed right by their home on Thomas Road, a short distance from St. John’s Prep, where the walk begins.
“I was thinking we’d do a little bit of water,” Jean Tarricone said. “He said, ‘Not water, mom. Something like lemonade.'”
That first year the Tarricones borrowed two big jugs from Wenham Country Club, where Jean’s mother works in the pro shop, to handle all of the lemonade. Since then they’ve bought two of their own 8-gallon jugs that they bring out once a year.
They start making the lemonade (the powdered kind) the morning of the walk. The whole family — Jean, her husband, Louis, and their teenage children Nate, Zach and Annie — man the lemonade stand with help from neighbors. Jean estimates they serve between 600 and 800 cups.
“It’s small but it’s really just the gesture of it,” she said. “The people love it.”
The Tarricones have always seen the walkers with T-shirts or signs in honor of loved ones who have passed away. Tomorrow, they plan to have their own poster in memory of Gudaitis.
“This is going to be very special,” Jean said. “Now we feel more a part of that. We are there for a very distinct reason, too.”
The Hospice Walk began in 1988 with 75 people who raised $6,000. Last year nearly 5,000 people walked and raised $200,000.
The proceeds benefit Hospice of the North Shore Greater Boston programs and services that are not covered by insurance. The organization serves 500 patients per day in 87 communities. The Kaplan Family Hospice House opened on Liberty Street in Danvers in 2005, becoming the first licensed inpatient hospice facility in the state.
Kaplan House was expanded in 2009 and now offers 20 private suites that each include a pull-out sofa, a sitting area, and a private patio overlooking landscaped gardens.
“My dad got to feel the sun on his face and the breeze,” Jean Tarricone said.
The walk has raised about $2.75 million over the last 24 years. Organizers expect this year’s walk to push that number near $3 million.
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.