Seven walks. Seven causes. One goal: make a change.
Over the past year, Highmark Stadium has partnered with dedicated
nonprofit organizations to host seven charity walks at the home of the
Riverhounds and Riveters. Each event brought people together, raised
awareness, generated funds and supported causes that truly make a
difference in the community.
The walks included the Kidney Walk (National Kidney Foundation), St.
Jude Walk (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Walk to End
Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer’s Association), Out of the Darkness Walk
(American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), Hydrocephalus Walk
(Hydrocephalus Association), Friendship Walk (Best Buddies) and Multiple
Sclerosis Walk.
Hosting these walks draws eyes to Highmark Stadium and gives the
organizations a venue to promote their charitable causes, and while 2025
has been a particularly impactful year, charity walks at Highmark Stadium
are not new.
In 2023, Highmark Stadium hosted the Walk for Apraxia in partnership with
the Apraxia Kids Foundation, raising awareness for childhood apraxia of
speech (CAS).
Graduate student Emma Granto from Duquesne University’s
speech-language pathology program attended the walk with the Duquesne
National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA).
“It was a lot of fun to attend,” Granto said. “They had the Pitt mascot and
some Disney princesses, and on the field, there were games and a DJ for
the kids.”
The walk was all about the kids, as was evident when children with CAS
shared their experiences and talked about how much they have grown.
“It was nice for the kids to see how much support they have from the
community,” Granto said. “A lot of the time, people don’t know what CAS is,
and having such a large venue with so much support made the kids feel
really special.”
Support both from and for the community also was seen in October of this
year when Highmark Stadium hosted the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“We want to raise enough money to put it toward research,” said Lynzy
Groves, senior development manager with the Alzheimer’s Association. “In
Western Pennsylvania, we have a really cool opportunity because the
single largest Alzheimer’s Association-funded research lab is at the
University of Pittsburgh. It’s really cool to know that a lot of our funding from
the Pittsburgh walk that we have at Highmark is staying local.”
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s has been hosted at Highmark Stadium annually since 2019, and with the walk this
year having roughly 3,000 attendees, the lasting relationship played a huge role in the event’s success.
“When you get 3,000 people, roughly, in the stadium, there are so many
moving pieces, safety factors, all those things we have to think about to
keep our participants safe and happy,” Groves said. “It’s just nice to have
that partnership with Highmark in order to make that go smoothly. If we
didn’t have the great team that Highmark has, I don’t know where we would
be.”
Keeping participants safe is always a top priority, and one that Highmark
Stadium makes very easy to accommodate.
“The nature of the business that we’re in with Alzheimer’s, our crowd tends
to skew a little older,” Groves said. “Highmark Stadium is the best venue for
accessibility in Pittsburgh, in my opinion. It’s completely flat. There are so
many things that can affect a wheelchair that we really take into
consideration, or ambulatory problems, so Highmark makes it very easy for
us.”
Getting all of the attendees inside the venue was the first step. Then,
seeing the event unfold and connections being made was a special
moment for Groves.
“I saw the crowd. … We packed the house, which was great,” Groves said.
“Seeing that crowd was overwhelming, in a good way.”
Packing the house also meant a lot for attendees, who could see firsthand
they aren’t alone.
“Alzheimer’s and dementia are very socially isolating,” Groves said. “So,
being able to have everyone come together is a great experience for them,
and that’s the feedback I’ve been getting from them.”
After yet another successful walk at Highmark Stadium, Groves is happy to
have found a safe haven.
“We appreciate Highmark Stadium giving us a venue and a platform,”
Groves said. “It’s truly changed our event experience, and I’m very happy
to call Highmark Stadium home.”
Another organization that calls Highmark Stadium home is the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which held its Out of the Darkness Walk
at Highmark Stadium on Sept. 6. With over 2,500 participants in attendance,
the walk serves as a way to raise money and awareness for suicide
prevention.
“With these walks, we raise the funds that go into the research on how we
can prevent suicide,” said Suzie Cook, the organization’s area director for
Western Pennsylvania. “We present research-based programming to
places like schools, churches and offices, so they can learn how to talk
about their mental health when they are not feeling well, and talk about suicide.”
Similar to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, strength in numbers plays a
significant role in the event’s success.
“When people see they are not alone, that’s such a powerful feeling,” Cook
said. “The power in numbers is so important.”
Partnering with Highmark has been a success for Cook and her team, both
logistically and aesthetically.
“Working with Highmark is great. It’s such a beautiful backdrop because of
the location and it’s been a great opportunity to showcase the city, the
stadium, our messaging and to bring awareness.” Cook said.
