Beautiful Skies and Beaming Sunshine Draw in Laughter, Fun and Walkers for St. Mary’s Kids at Fort Totten Park in Bayside
The day couldn’t have been brighter as the sun beamed over 1000 Walkers who gathered for the 8th Annual Walk for St. Mary’s Kids on Sunday, May 20th at Fort. Totten Park in Bayside to raise funds and awareness for children with special needs.
Set adjacent to the pristine Long Island Sound, Fort Totten’s spectacular water views and historic grounds made a perfect setting for St. Mary’s annual Walk, as this year’s historic event not only celebrated St. Mary’s Kids, but also marked a monumental milestone for St. Mary’s – its 140th Birthday!
St. Mary’s began caring for New York City’s most vulnerable children in 1872 and has since become one of the premier providers of intensive rehabilitation, specialized medical care and education. Each day, St. Mary’s cares for 4,000 children with complex medical and life-limiting conditions.
St. Mary’s Grand Marshals, 6 of St. Mary’s courageous patients, helped kick off the Walk as they led the ½ mile and 2 ½ mile route alongside the perimeter of Fort Totten’s neighborhoods and ball fields. Community leaders and businesses, corporations, patients, families and friends all proudly wore their Walk t-shirts and held up their walk banners representing their individual teams as they Walked to support a worthy cause. Over 55 teams from all walks of life set individual goals and helped raised funds and awareness through fundraisers and special events leading up to the Walk.
The day of fun brought all Walk teams together to celebrate their incredible efforts and included a host of activities for the entire family, including a Zumba warm up with Vibez Studio’s Christina LaGrega, arts & crafts with Holy Cross High School, FDNY Smoke House, regulation size bowling from Maple Family Centers and lots of giveaways.
Sponsors and Community Supporters included GEICO, Marshalls, Municipal Credit Union, Alma Bank, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., BBTLI Management, D.J. Plumbing Supply Co., Inc., General Sherman – Father Shine Knights of Columbus #569, Maple Family Centers, Masons 9th District, Royal Waste Services, Inc., and US Foods Alliant.
Today, 1 in 5 children has a special need. In New York State alone that’s nearly 800,000 children. St. Mary’s kids make incredible gains each and every day and continue to strive for excellence in meeting all of their rehabilitative and educational goals. With the help of St. Mary’s compassionate caregivers and groundbreaking programs and services, St. Mary’s kids heal, grow, and thrive.
St. Mary’s Annual Walk celebrates the accomplishments of St. Mary’s Kids and supports the mission of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children – to improve the health and quality of life for children with special healthcare needs and their families.
You can still support the Walk by becoming a virtual walker online. For more information contact Angela Sculti at 718-281-8817.
