Thousands take part in 12th annual Meagan’s Walk
Posted May 11, 2013 4:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday for the 12th annual Meagan’s Walk, Saturday.
The 5-kilometre walk raises funds for paediatric brain tumour research at SickKids Hospital. Since its inception, Meagan’s Walk has raised more than $3 million.
The event started at Fort York and ended at SickKids where all participants joined hands to form a human hug around the hospital.
Students from over two dozen schools in the GTA were on hand as part of the organization’s kids helping kids program.
Meagan’s Walk began after Denise Bebenek’s daughter Meagan, 5, passed away from a cancerous brain tumour in 2001.
“I wanted to raise awareness and funds for paediatric brain tumours but I also knew that it was really about community, being a passionate community and bringing people together from all walks of life,” she explained to CityNews. “The greatest thing we can do when children are suffering is to love them and hug them and that was my vision years ago.”
She said people were bused in from all across Ontario and Quebec.
“On behalf of everyone at SickKids, we are deeply grateful to Denise Bebenek, her family and the thousands of Meagan’s Walk supporters who have achieved a new fundraising milestone in support of paediatric brain tumour research at SickKids,” Ted Garrard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation said in a media release Saturday.
“We are thrilled to have Meagan’s Walk as a key fundraising event during our second annual Healthy and Happy campaign in support of children’s health this month.”
SickKids has the only laboratory dedicated to paediatric brain tumour research in Canada.
