WESTPORT — Rach’s Hope, a local nonprofit that supports families with loved ones facing critical illnesses, will host a fundraising walk Oct. 22 at Compo Beach.

The third annual “Walking the Extra Mile” event will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22, starting at the Ned Dimes Marina.

To register or to make a donation, click here.

The walk-a-thon, planned on a mile-long course, will raise funds to provide food, transportation and lodging for families with loved ones in intensive-care units nationwide, according to event organizers.

The event also will include music performed by the Ellis Island Band, pizza and age-appropriate beverages.

Westport-based Rachel Hope Doran was established in tribute to Rachel Doran, a 2015 graduate of Staples High School and rising senior at Cornell University, who died at age 21 after a rare reaction to a common medication in 2018. Besides her academic achievements, she was described by family and friends as a talented fashion designer and cook.

After she died, her family established the nonprofit, Rach’s Hope, “to address the challenges families face during and after a child’s critical illness requiring an extended stay in intensive care,” according to the organization’s website.