Fifth annual Nell Pittman Day walk-a-thon to honor resilience, support families
The fifth annual Nell Pittman Day Walk-a-Thon and Community Resource Fair will bring the Kinston community together on April 25 to honor Nell Pittman’s life while raising support for families facing caregiving challenges.
Pittman suffered a traumatic brain injury in January 2020 after a violent attack that left her in need of long-term care. More than six years later, her family and supporters continue to honor her life, raise awareness and connect families with resources through the annual walk-a-thon and community fair.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at River of Life Christian Center, 301 N. Secrest St. in Kinston. It is hosted by Act Now Community Development Corporation, Inc. and Committed to Progressing Forward, LLC as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which this year carries the theme, “Listen. Act. Advocate.”
For Hernika Cannon, the event is about making sure her mother is remembered for the life she lived, not only for the tragedy that changed it.
“When people hear the name Nell Pittman, I want them to understand that she is not defined by what happened to her,” Cannon said. “She is a woman of deep faith, compassion, empathy, and strength.”
Cannon described her mother as the matriarch of the family, a prayer warrior and a woman whose character never changed depending on who was watching.
“The tragedy is part of her story, but it is not the whole story,” Cannon said. “Her life represents resilience, dignity, and love.”
Before the 2020 attack that left Pittman with a traumatic brain injury, Cannon said her mother was well known in Kinston for her service, faith and care for others. She said people knew Pittman through her work at the Shirt Factory and DuPont, as director of River of Life Child Development Center, as a Salvation Army Auxiliary member, as a minister and Sunday school teacher, and through her involvement with River of Life Christian Center and the Kinston Community Center.
“She was someone who created a sense of warmth and belonging wherever she went,” Cannon said. “She was not seeking recognition. She simply lived a life of service and integrity.”
The annual walk began as a way to help cover Pittman’s in-home care expenses after Cannon said the family found itself paying out of pocket for needs not covered by Medicare. Cannon said the idea also carried special meaning because her mother had just finished walking a mile at the Kinston Community Center on the day she was attacked, Jan. 2, 2020.
“The walk has been a way for our family to process grief and transform pain into purpose,” Cannon said. “We wanted to create something that honored her life while also helping others.”
Over time, Cannon said, the event grew into more than a fundraiser.
“The walk became a space for the community to gather, heal, share resources, and stand in solidarity with victims and caregivers,” she said.
This year, the family hopes to use the event not only to honor Pittman, but also to help other families caring for elderly loved ones who fall into the gap between not qualifying for Medicaid and not having enough income to cover care costs.
“What began as a fundraiser to assist with my mom’s in-home care expenses, this year we desire to extend a helping hand to other families with elderly parents who find themselves in the gap,” Cannon said.
Cannon said the event remains both deeply painful and deeply meaningful for her family.
“It’s emotional because of the tragedy that led us here,” she said. “It’s empowering because we’ve created something positive out of a negative, horrific life-changing event.”
“Each year, when I see people show up and walk in my mother’s honor, it reminds me that love and community are stronger than violence and tragedy,” Cannon added. “This is our way of transforming tragedy and trauma into triumph.”
This year’s event will also include a partnership with National Prescription Drug Take Back Day led by Recovery Together, Safe Kids of Eastern North Carolina and the Kinston Police Department. Organizers said the event will offer a free, safe and confidential way to dispose of unused or expired medications.
Along with the walk, attendees can expect food, music, games, a kids zone, community resource vendors, door prizes and information about support services.
“It is designed to be both reflective and empowering, a place where remembrance meets action,” Cannon said.
Cannon said it is important to connect Pittman’s story to the larger conversation around crime victims’ rights because many victims and families struggle to navigate systems and find support after traumatic events.
“My mother’s experience opened our eyes to the reality that many victims and families struggle to navigate systems and find support,” she said. “Connecting her story to crime victims’ rights helps ensure that conversations about justice, healing, and advocacy continue in a meaningful way.”
She said organizers want survivors, victims and caregivers to leave the event knowing they are not alone.
“We want victims, survivors, and caregivers to know they are not alone,” Cannon said. “Healing is possible, and community matters.”
Walk-a-thon registration is $15 per participant and includes lunch. Nonprofit vendors may participate for free, though lunch is not included. For-profit vendor spaces are $25 and include lunch.
Cannon said volunteers and vendors are encouraged to sign up, and she hopes the broader community will come out, whether or not they know her mother’s full story.
“You don’t have to know my mother’s story to care about healing and community,” Cannon said. “This event is about coming together to support one another, honor resilience, and strengthen our collective response to trauma and caregiving challenges.”
Looking ahead, Cannon said she hopes Nell Pittman Day becomes known in Kinston as something larger than remembrance alone.
“I want this day to be known as a symbol of transformation, where tragedy was turned into a movement of care, advocacy, and community resilience,” she said. “Nell Pittman Day is not just about remembering what our family endured. It’s about showing what a community can become when we choose healing, compassion, and action together.”
As of the writing of the article, no arrests have been made in connection with Pittman’s attack.
