JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly a thousand walkers, runners and rollers made history Saturday morning after being a part of the very first “Kids Health Run and Walk” for Nemours Children’s Health.
Those who attended this inaugural Kids Health Run and Walk — which started outside the EverBank Stadium — did their part to help raise money for people like the Pickering family.
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“It means a whole lot to us that people are willing to look our way, and donate and raise money for families like us to have the care that we need,” Dalton Pickering said.
Malachi is 6 years old.
He was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disorder called STXBP1.
Due to his disorder, Malachi can’t walk or talk, and he suffers from seizures.
His brother, Declan, is 3 years old and is severely autistic and non-verbal.
Their parents, Hope and Dalton, know events are big for them.
“You do end up feeling very isolated. As a family of special needs, we are a lot smaller of a community than you realize. Especially us when we move so much you have to start all over. It is just finding that community. It means everything to be able to talk to people and to be able to relate to one another,” Hope Pickering said.
The goal is to raise $300,000.
All of that money will go toward the Nemours’ Compassionate Care Fund.
The money aims to help kids with severe injuries and illnesses.
Grayson Smith is 12 years old and is an ambassador for Nemours.
He has broken his wrist three different times since he was 6 years old, each time he was a patient with Nemours during his recovery.
“It feels great that I am able to help people and Nemours is able to help people. I feel like we are doing something good and that is what matters,” Smith said.
The event included a 5K, 10K, and a one-mile fun run. Run courses included scenic routes through downtown, along the St. Johns River, and over the iconic Hart Bridge.