** The following article was originally published in Quo Vadis on May 2, 2015 **
Children’s Specialized Hospital will be hosting their ninth annual Walk n’ Roll event on May 16 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Johnson Park in Piscataway to raise money for their hospital.
The Walk n’ Roll event is free for those who participate.
“Walk n’ Roll is important because it is our largest community event. It is a wonderful opportunity to have our patients and their families support the hospital in a fun way,” said Toni Bodrato, the event coordinator for Children’s Specialized Hospital. “We invite our participants to walk or roll a 1, 2.5, or 5 mile course while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Johnson Park and the Raritan River. The Walk n’ Roll is followed by a carnival for young and old, where everyone can enjoy live music, games and prizes.”
Bodrato also said, “We have a few goals for this event. We are excited to welcome around 2,200 walkers this year—made up of patients, families, friends, and sponsors. We also have the goal to hit a record high for fundraising of $278,000. Last year’s event raised $267,000 to help fund the expansion of our New Brunswick in-patient program so we are able to treat more children. Each year the money raised by our sponsors and teams help to support a project to better our services and care for children in need.”
All the donations made during the event will go to benefit the Children’s Specialized Hospital, which has hospitals at 12 sites in New Jersey. The closest one is on Somerset Street in New Brunswick.
The hospital’s website, childrens-specialized.org says, “The hospital serves children affected by brain injury, spinal cord dysfunction and injury, premature birth, autism, developmental delays, and life-changing illnesses.” They go on to say, “Renowned therapeutic programs include physical, speech, and occupational therapy; psychology services; neurodevelopmental physician services; recreational therapy and child life, and a full complement of support services.”
