The CHOC Walk In The Park Brought Tears To My Eyes

Humbled By This Man

A week ago, I was able to attend the CHOC Walk In The Park. This was the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Walk In Disneyland. This annual fundraiser is an enormous event and raised $1.8 million dollars to support the care, family services, education and research that CHOC provides for the region’s children in Southern California.

The photo I’m showing above happens to be my favorite picture from the event. The man with the backpack, holding the sign…was completely still, as people moved around him. That sign held the name of a loved child for whom he was walking.

And this is why people walked.

They were all in groups or ‘teams’ and each had raised a minimum of $50 for each person to participate in the walk. 16,000 people took off in two heats through Disneyland and California Adventure raising money for the place that had treated someone they loved, or someone’s someone that person loved.

Every step of the foot had intent behind it.

Team Ms Bossy Boots

Every individual there had someone in mind. And if you had participated in this event not knowing a soul, but just to participate, there was no way you were leaving without knowing someone’s story…or a child’s picture embedded into your memory permanently.

As a ~~mother,~~ Human Being, this event is a hard one. Our children are precious. They are innocent. And when terrible things happen to our children, the strings are pulled tight.

Yup, it does.

The children to the right, lost their older brother, Masher. He was 20 when he died of cancer and had received treatment at CHOC.

I did learn of an amazing program at CHOC, that it seems not many children’s hospitals may have…

… A program for young adults, young adults that can still develop children’s cancers. Beyond that, a program that helps educate and ready young adults for real life after a life-threatening illness or permanent disabilities.

Everything I have learned about CHOC in the past week makes me happy.

Newsboys singing their hearts out!

Spinning Teacups

In good ‘ol Disney fashion, no stone is left unturned. Disneyland had everything on at 6am! The teacups were spinning, the water displays were on, the characters were out in full display from princesses to the little boy and his dog from UP!

Disneyland is the perfect place to hold such an event. As if this place isn’t magical enough, just fill it with 16,000 people with stories to melt your heart, make you cry and count your blessings…. you’ll never be the same.