Annual walkathon helps St. Pete-based nonprofit grant once-in-a-lifetime wishes for sick children

TAMPA, Fla. - Some of the greatest joys and memories in life can come from our childhoods.

But kids battling life-threatening illnesses can be robbed of those experiences while in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals, and that's when the Children's Dream Fund steps in to help.

"We get to be the fun. We get to be the bright spot in a child's medical journey," said Emily Walsh, Marketing & Events Manager for the Children's Dream Fund. "They are going through something that is so tough that no child should ever have to go through, and we get to come in and say, 'What is something that you've always wanted?'"

As a St. Pete-based nonprofit, Walsh and her team have been able to grant once-in-a-lifetime wishes for thousands of sick children across West Central Florida.

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"Our dreams vary as much as the personalities of the children," Walsh explained. "Anything ranging all the way from, a trip to Disney World to meet their favorite princess or a trip to Hawaii. If they want a puppy, you know, we'll get them a puppy, but not just a puppy. We cover the food and the toys, and their vet bills."

Thanks to the help of BAPS charities, they'll be able to grant wishes for a lot more children.

The global organization's Tampa chapter selected the Children's Dream Fund as the beneficiary for their annual walkathon at Al Lopez Park.

It's where hundreds of Tampa Bay residents and even representatives gathered on Sunday, to march for a great cause. 

"We are proud to say that we raised over $12,000 for their fund," said BAPS volunteer, Hari Krishna Patel.  "If you look around, you'll see people of all ages coming together from different parts of the community for this and that's really special." 

For more on BAPS, click here.

For more on the Children's Dream Fund, click here.

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