VILLENOVA — Walk or run down a country lane in remembrance of those you love, or to remember those long forgotten at the “Love Remembered” Memorial 5K Walk/Run, being held at Villenova Cemetery, Cemetery Road, South Dayton on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Registration starts at noon and is $20 for adults, $10 for students; the walk starts at 1 p.m. Walk or run as far as you like. Dogs allowed, but must be on leash. We will be giving away random prizes and serving refreshments. The deep affection one holds in their heart for a departed one is reflected in the “Love Remembered” theme: “Those we love don’t go away; they walk besides us every day.” Your donation is vital to keep an indispensable but often overlooked asset functioning for our community.

At 2:30 p.m., after the walk, we invite everyone to watch SkyHunters USA present an educational and live flight demonstration of their amazing birds of prey to include a golden eagle, vulture, great horned owl, Saker falcon, northern goshawk, kestrel, barn owl and a Harris hawk. Meet them up close and gain insight into the lives of these fascinating apex predators. Cemeteries are quiet and safe habitats for birds and all kinds of wildlife. A $5 per person donation is requested; please bring a chair.

People might not naturally associate a cemetery with love; as was the first Villenova burial of a 15-year-old boy 208 years ago, everyone interred in a cemetery was once loved by someone. A father’s grieving love for his young son and dedicating his land to allow neighbors to bury loved ones were the beginnings of Villenova Cemetery. The erecting of carefully chosen personal monuments, planting flowers, family and generations of descendants tending gravesites are all loving tributes to a life once lived. People who graciously donate to a cemetery association often do in remembrance of a loved one.

The “Love Remembered” walk is held by the nonprofit Villenova Burial Association as a continuation of the theme from their annual bake sale held at South Dayton Supermarket around Valentine’s Day.

Sponsors of the “Love Remembered” Memorial 5K Walk/Run are AmeriGas, Arkwright Printing, Austin Milling, Cherry Creek Sub Shop, David & Kathy Crowell, Keith & Barbara Crowell, Hae Jude Signs, McDonalds, The Morey Family, The Mustard Seed, Herbert and Barbara Nobles, Brent Phillips, Elizabeth C. Phillips, Linda Prather and grandchildren, South Dayton Super Market, Tops, Wing City Grille, Tri-R-Service and Walmart. All proceeds will help operate, maintain and contribute to the future expansion of Villenova Cemetery. It is the last active cemetery continuing to serve the public in Villenova.