NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — An event to raise money for Make-A-Wish New Jersey took place Saturday.
The goal was to raise money to grant children with illnesses a special wish. Around 600 people participated in Saturday’s Walk and Roll for Wishes event at American Dream in East Rutherford.
One of the people taking part was 19-year-old Alayna Riozzi-Bodine. She was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was in her senior year of high school. She received a wish from the foundation and took a trip to Kauai with her family.
“Having that time as a family after everything I’ve been through and just as a family going through that, it was so therapeutic. It was almost life-changing in a way. Having that time with them,” Riozzi-Bodine said.
The event was hosted by Make-A-Wish New Jersey, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Almost 12,000 wishes have been granted in New Jersey since the chapter’s inception.
Tom Weatherall, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish New Jersey, said what made Saturday extra special was that it took place on World Wish Day, the day celebrating the founding of Make-A-Wish and its simple but powerful mission.
