First ever “Walk for Amazing” raises $332,414 for Children’s Minnesota
Emceed by Cities 97 DJ (and parent of a Children’s patient) Paul Fletcher, the event brought together thousands in support of all care programs at the nation’s seventh-largest pediatric health system.
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – (June 11, 2018) – On Saturday, June 9, more than 2,300 people packed U.S. Bank Stadium for Walk for Amazing, the first-of-its-kind fundraiser for Children’s Minnesota.
The event, which featured a ceremonial walk through the stadium and on-field, family-friendly activities, raised more than $332,000 in support of Children’s and the care they provide to improve the health and well-being of all kids. Walk for Amazing was designed to bring together everyone touched by Children’s, enabling participants to direct their fundraising efforts to any program they wanted.
“Our vision was to create one big experience for everyone,” said Annie Waters, interim chief development officer at Children’s Minnesota Foundation. “This notion we have of ‘amazing’ pertains to all the children in our community, and all the ways we’re able to care for them.”
More than 185 teams participated in the walk and raised money for the program of their choice. Leading all teams in fundraising and participation was Asher’s Dashers, a group celebrating kindergartener Asher Thomas, who spent his first days of life at Children’s, undergoing open heart surgery to have a pacemaker implanted.
While Walk for Amazing was all about a great cause, the organizers wanted to make sure it was also a lot of fun. Attendees got to explore areas of the stadium not usually open to the public. The walk took participants underneath the stadium, past the Minnesota Vikings locker room, and through the players’ tunnel onto the field. On-field activities included a climbing wall, yard games, face-painting, live music from local group Koo Koo Kanga Roo and more.
Cities 97 DJ Paul Fletcher, who has a personal experience with Children’s, emceed the event and participated with his family. Their daughter Elsie was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease at birth, a condition that affects the large intestine. Today, she’s a happy six-year-old, and her grateful parents support Children’s every chance they get. “We found the amazing that is Children’s Minnesota,” said Paul. “This event feels like we’re all unifying and celebrating how much Children’s impacts the world and our kids.”
Event sponsors included Boston Scientific, Prime Therapeutics, Abbott, New Horizon Academy, Cargill and Medtronic.
About Children’s Minnesota
Children’s Minnesota is the seventh largest pediatric health system in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children’s serves kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, 12 primary and specialty care clinics and six rehabilitation sites. Additionally, Children’s is Minnesota’s only Level I pediatric trauma center inside a hospital dedicated solely to children. Children’s maintains its longstanding commitment to the community to improve children’s health by providing high-quality, family-centered pediatric services and advancing those efforts through research and education. This work is made possible in large part by generous philanthropic and volunteer support from individuals and organizations throughout the state and region. An award-winning health system, Children’s received Magnet recognition from The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 2018 and is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children’s hospital. Please visit childrensMN.org.