Avery's Bravery a Fantastic Success!
Proud parents, Randy and Christine Bond, posing with Avery after the race. The Bonds’ other beautiful daughter, Taylor, was also in attendance at the fun-filled family event.
Despite reports of impending rain, it turned out to be a gorgeous morning for the first annual Avery’s Bravery race on Saturday, April 24th.
The race was a charity fundraiser for SickKids Hospital, organized by the family of 1 year old Avery Bond in honour of her first year after open heart surgery. Avery needed the surgery at just 13 days old after being diagnosed with a Coarctation of the Aorta (narrowing of the main aortic valve). The Bonds felt it was important to give back to SickKids for saving Avery’s life, and so “Avery’s Bravery” was born!
Participants, many of them families with small children, at the start line before the race.
With the help of 252 excited race participants and 40 volunteers, the Bonds fulfilled their wish and raised over $5000, with more donations still coming in. The race attracted many families for a 2 km walk / 5 km run through the beautiful Rockwood Conservation area . A fun filled post-race afterparty proved just as popular, with a picnic lunch, door prizes and lots of great activities and crafts for the kids (my apologies to Rockwood’s fire crew, who entertained my son’s repeated visits to the fire truck!).
Money raised at the race will be donated to the SickKids cardiac unit and Bravery Bead program. The Bravery Bead program is for children in the Haematology / Oncology, Immunology and Allergy Program at The Hospital for Sick Children. It allows children to collect different beads for each procedure or event while visiting the hospital. Each child’s collection of beads represents his or her own unique and personal journey through treatment. Donations for Bravery Beads can be made to the Women’s Auxiliary Bravery Bead Program .
Avery Bond, sporting her collection of Bravery Beads, crossed the finish line in comfort- fast asleep in her “Bravery Buggy”!
If you missed the race and would still like to donate, please visit the Avery’s Bravery website , or the SickKids Foundation website . Also, be sure to mark April 30th, 2011 on your calendar and join us for the next Avery’s Bravery race!
-Sara
Avery’s Bravery Website
SickKids Foundation website
Avery’s story
Bravery Beads information page
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-04-25 Permanent Link: Avery's Bravery a Fantastic Success!
