On April 12, 36 residents, family members, volunteers and staff of Warm Hearth Village (WHV) walked 3.2 miles through the Village to honor those lost in the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy. The annual event, organized by residents with strong ties to the university, is a quiet and meaningful way to reflect and remember. WHV residents John Hillison, former Virginia Tech Agricultural Education professor and department head and Dr. Richard Shepherd, a retired physician who specialized in emergency and family medicine, mapped 3.2 miles on the campus and recruited the walkers. The walk follows a route through the Village’s wooded paths and common spaces, offering a moment of peace and connection for all who participate. It is one of many ways the residents of Warm Hearth continue to stay engaged with the town and the university that have shaped so much of their lives.
Many of the residents at Warm Hearth Village are former Virginia Tech faculty, staff, alumni, or long-time community members. Their connections to the university run deep, and the walk is both a personal and community-wide act of remembrance.
Fran and Bill Sargent have been Village residents since 2024. “Fran and I weren’t associated with Virginia Tech before my job brought us here in 2007. On April 16th I was at work and the office TV played news of the event all day. I remember thinking something like that should never have happened here; this is not a big city,” Sargent said. “We recognize the importance of Virginia Tech on Montgomery County and beyond. Many things wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Tech. We make the walk every year in recognition of the lives lost and the importance of Tech to the area,” he added.
