Walk raises money to grant wishes for children

Andrea “Isa” Perez, a first-grader at Tyson Elementary School in Springdale, is surprised when she receives a trip to Disney World from Make-A-Wish Mid-South. The regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation will host a new event, Walk For Wishes, to raise money to grant future wishes for Northwest Arkansas children who have life-threatening medical conditions.
Andrea “Isa” Perez, a first-grader at Tyson Elementary School in Springdale, is surprised when she receives a trip to Disney World from Make-A-Wish Mid-South. The regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation will host a new event, Walk For Wishes, to raise money to grant future wishes for Northwest Arkansas children who have life-threatening medical conditions.

Walk For Wishes, a new fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Mid-South, will celebrate and support the organization's mission to grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The walk and family friendly activities will be 9 a.m. to noon May 7 at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.

Walk For Wishes

What: A shorter than 2-mile walk and family friendly activities to raise money to help Make-A-Wish Mid-South grant wishes for Northwest Arkansas children who have life-threatening medical conditions.

When: 9 a.m. to noon May 7

Where: Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, 3000 S. 56th St.

Information: (479) 755-4524, walkforwishesnwa.org

Bonus: Chef Shuttle will donate $1 to Walk for Wishes for every Northwest Arkansas order placed at chefshuttle.com from Monday to May 7 with the free delivery code “Wish2016.”

Wish kids, along with their friends, families and supporters are raising money to grant wishes in the future for other children.

"The hope is to grant nine wishes to children in Northwest Arkansas," said Esther Wills, Make-A-Wish Mid-South development coordinator. At press time, Wills said seven of nine wishes had been funded.

Participants can register at walkforwishesnwa.org. The event is free and is open to the public.

The walk is an official participating event of the Bentonville Film Festival, according to a news release. The film festival, which celebrates women and diversity, runs Tuesday to May 8.

Make-A-Wish Mid-South, a chapter of Make-A-Wish America, serves Arkansas, west Tennessee and north Mississippi. The organization's mission is to grant wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human condition with hope, strength and joy.

The Mid-South chapter grants wishes for more than 240 children each year, and the chapter has granted more than 4,800 wishes since it was founded in 1986. The average cost of a each wish is $8,000, and the organization relies on fundraisers, corporate sponsors and donations.

-- Kelly Barnett

[email protected]

NAN Our Town on 04/28/2016

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