Now in its fourth year, the Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida Walk for Wishes was held at Water Works Park over the weekend. Over 1,000 walkers joined to raise more than $205,000 to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. This year’s fundraising efforts were highlighted by the participation of a record number of Wish Kids who championed their own teams. These children joined former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver and Honorary Chair, Vincent Jackson, and Walk for Wishes Committee Chair, Dennis Leon, to present the check to the crowd.
“Because of the passionate support of the Tampa Bay community, we are now 25 wishes closer to our goal of 310 wishes being granted by our chapter this year. That’s 25 children with life-threatening medical conditions that now have something incredible to look forward to,” said Lisa Andrews, Regional Director for Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. “We’ve watched this event grow over the past four years, and are excited to watch it continue to develop.”
This event would not be possible without the generosity of local sponsors and partners including Tech Data, Kinney, Fernandez & Boire, P.A., Publix Charities, Power Design, Wish Farms, Transportation Control Systems, myMatrixx, Monin Gourmet Flavorings, Trusted Choice and more.
“We were proud to support the Walk for Wishes for the fourth consecutive year,” said sponsor, Marcus Fernandez of Kinney, Fernandez & Boire, P.A. “Witnessing the strength and hope of the Wish Kids and their families inspire us to continue our involvement with this tremendous foundation year after year.”
For the third year in a row, the event’s top fundraiser, Mala Murthy, raised $8,365 to help grant wishes for local kids! Her team, U Wish, We Walk, was also the event’s top team and raised $21,802. They were graciously supported through a corporate match program offered by UnitedHealthcare.
ABOUT WALK FOR WISHES:
Powered by Wish families, volunteers, donors and friends, Walk For Wishes® is a nationwide Make-A-Wish fundraiser that celebrates the thousands of wishes that have already been granted while raising funds for future wishes. The family-friendly two-mile walk started at the beautiful Water Works Park located in Downtown Tampa and followed along the Tampa Riverwalk on the Hillsborough River. 100 percent of the net proceeds from the event will be used to grant wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions in our local community.