CHOC Walk in the Park Archives - Over The Top Mommy

CHOC Walk in the Park

Registration Now Open for This Year’s CHOC Walk in the Park at Disneyland Resort

May 8, 2019 / SoCal Fun

I was invited to a media event in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

The countdown to the 2019 CHOC Walk in the Park has started! This very special annual event will take place this year on Sunday, August 11, 2019 at the Disneyland Resort. The CHOC Walk in the Park is the only walk of its kind which takes place inside of the Parks, allowing participants to experience Disney® as never before. Did you know this is the 19th year in a row that the Disneyland Resort has hosted this wonderful event as the presenting sponsor?

I was invited to a very special CHOC Walk in the Park kickoff event, held at Disney’s Grand California Hotel. The event was filled with information about this year’s walk and pre-walk FUNdraising events. At the kickoff event, we also got to learn about the 2019 CHOC Walk Ambassador, Ella Boyle. Ella’s mother, Lizzie, spoke to us all about her journey at CHOC Children’s.Ella and her family have a giant team that walked last year known as “Team Brave Boyle“. Watch this video narrating Ella’s story:

Last year, with the help of friends, families, and sponsors, the 2018 CHOC Walk raised $2.9 million dollars! All proceeds from this magical event benefit the health and well-being of Southern California’s kids. This year, they’re reaching for an even higher goal and you can help out!

My daughter and I have had the opportunity to participate in the CHOC Walk in the Park in prior years and it is definitely an experience that will touch your heart. I highly encourage you to get involved with this wonderful event this year.

There are a few different ways to get involved with the CHOC Walk in the Park:

Register to Walk – CHOC Walk Participants can create teams, earn prizes, and raise funds for CHOC. We encourage Walkers to fund raise for their participation or they can make a personal donation. Register now to create your own Personal and/or Team Fundraising Page.

Donate – If you aren’t to walk, you always have the option to donate to an individual’s page or even towards the CHOC Walk in general. For more information about donating, please go HERE.

Support pre-CHOC Walk fundraising efforts – In the months leading up to the CHOC Walk in the Park, there’ll be several great opportunities to support different fundraisers that directly benefit CHOC Children’s including Chick-Fil-A CHOC Walk Wednesdays and more. Keep your eye on CHOC Walk’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more details.

For more information about this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park, please visit their official site HERE. I hope to see you at the event!

Some images are property of CHOC Walk and used with permission.

Support CHOC Walk by Attending Ambassadors’ Rock’N Luau at Splitsville + a Giveaway

July 26, 2018 / Orange County, SoCal Fun

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

The CHOC Walk in the Park, held every year at The Disneyland Resort, is just around the corner. This wonderful , fundraising event will take place this year on Sunday, August 25. Have you already registered to particpate? Hopefully so.Another fun event to join in on is the CHOC Walk Ambassadors’ Rock’N Luau, which will take place the night before the CHOC Walk at Splitsville Luxury Lanes in Downtown Disney®. Join in on the luau festivities Saturday, August 25, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It’s going to be a fun-filled afternoon for the entire family.The CHOC Walk Ambassadors’ Rock’N Luau is hosted by the CHOC Walk Ambassadors, who are grateful CHOC patients and their families who team up to coordinate this incredible fundraiser! These courageous kids represent the children we “Luau” for, past, present, and future. This entire event is to help raise awareness and funds to support CHOC Children’s Hospital.This “1950s Polynesian” themed event will feature:

activities for kids (and kids at heart)
a Rock’N raffle
a bowlin’ buffet
mini-bowling tournament
authentic Polynesian entertainment

Guests are encouraged to rock their favorite vintage Hawaiian shirts or fabulous 50’s gear.
For more information or to purchase your tickets for this year’s CHOC Walk Ambassadors’ Rock’N Luau, please go here.

Splitsville Luxury Lanes is located in the Downtown Disney District
at
1530 S. Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, Ca. 92802

Guests in attendance at this event will receive 5 Hours Downtown Disney Parking lot with validation.

I’m also hosting a giveaway for one (1) of my readers to win 4 Dave & Buster’s gift cards with 32 credits on each! To enter this giveaway, just fill out the Rafflecopter at the very bottom of this post! Good luck, everyone!

If you still need to register for the CHOC Walk in the Park, you can do so here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

CHOC Walk in the Park at Disneyland Resort on 8/26 + Meet the CHOC Walk Ambassador

May 25, 2018 / California, Disney, Disney, Disney, Disneyland Resort, SoCal Fun, Travel

I was invited to a media event in order to share this exciting news about this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park. All opinions are my own.

This year’s CHOC Walk in the Park is, once again, presented by Disneyland® Resort and will take place on Sunday, August 26, 2018. I really hope you’re going to be able to join in! If you’ve never participated in this annual event, I highly recommend you sign up to join the fun and experience Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park, and Downtown Disney® District as never before. This is the one and only walk to take place at the Disneyland® Resort with all proceeds benefiting the health and well-being of Southern California’s kids.We’ve had the pleasure of participating in this beautiful event for a few years now and to see something that is such a huge production being put together, all in the name of the kids, is an incredible thing.I recently attended a special CHOC Walk media event held at Disneyland Hotel, to learn about this year’s special programming and some of the FUNdraising events that’ll lead up to the big August event. I think you’re going to want to participate in all of these fun offerings so keep reading for more information.

For me, the most special part about attending the CHOC Walk media event was getting to know this year’s CHOC Walk Ambassador, Justin Helpers”. I got to chat with his entire family including his parents, Colby and Tricia, and his big sister and little brother.Justin is an 11 year old boy with a very rare neurological condition called lissencephaly, which causes his brain’s surface to be smooth and leads to significant developmental delays. Justin is severely neurologically impaired and has several seizures a day and is fed through a feeding tube. From early on in his life, Justin has spent extensive amounts of time being treated at CHOC Children’s and he’s really defied the odds of his condition. They have a giant CHOC Walk team named Justin’s Helpers that they’ve walked with over the past few years. They are an amazing family and I’m so excited that he was selected to be this year’s CHOC Walk Ambassador.

Some of the highlights of the CHOC Walk in the Park media event included getting a peek at the new artwork for this year’s medal and pin, which was recreated by Disney’s culinary team in the form of cupcakes, as well as getting a very special visit from our favorite gal pal, Minnie!New for this year is the CHOC Walk FUNdraiser Mobile App which will make it easy and FUN to exceed your CHOC Walk fundraising goals. This app is power-packed with extra tools for team captains! To read more about the CHOC Walk FUNdraiser Mobile App, please go here. You can download it from the App Store and on Google Play.If you haven’t registered as an individual or as part of a team for this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park, what are you waiting for? For more information about CHOC Walk in the Park or to register or donate, please go here.

Some images and logo are property of CHOC Walk and used with permission.

27th Annual CHOC Walk in the Park at Disneyland Resort Raises over $2.3 Million

September 2, 2017 / Disney, SoCal Fun

I was invited to participate in the CHOC Walk in the Park and share about my experience on my blog. All opinions are my own.

On August 27, 2017, CHOC Walk in the Park, presented by the Disneyland Resort, brought more than 12,000 walkers together to raise funds for CHOC Children’s. This year’s super heroes-themed walk raised more than $2.3 million in support of health care programs, education and research for Southern California’s kids which is absolutely amazing!I was so honored to be able to be there with my daughter and be a part of CHOC Walk in the Park. It was our 3rd time participating and this year was, by far, the best one yet! It’s such a thrill to be inside Disneyland Park in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun is even up. Each year, an ambassador is chosen for CHOC Walk. Each ambassador has a special and amazing story, relating to CHOC Children’s. This year’s ambassador was nine-year-old stood up on the stage in front of the entire crowd to talk a little bit about her story and helped kick off this year’s CHOC Walk!Jordin Jackson. Jordin was invited to the stage along with her family where she spoke to the crowd and shared a little bit about her own condition. She is an amazing little girl! You could feel the love there on Main Street, U.S.A., as thousands of CHOC Walkers watched and listened to her story.
Jordin has sickle cell disease, a disorder that means her red blood cells are misshapen, leading to reduced blood flow to parts of her body and frequent hospital stays for pain management. But with her control, it’s become an opportunity to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and fundraise for CHOC. Jordin’s history with CHOC Children’s Hospital runs deep and began when she was just 3 years old. Watch her story:

After a few of everyone’s favorite Disney characters joined Jordin and her family on stage, the CHOC Walk kicked off with a bang of confetti and the walkers were off!

It’s so heartwarming to be there walking among so many groups of people, many even on “teams” who are walking for someone. Some of the teams have matching gear and/or carry custom signs. You can just feel the energy and support as you proceed through both parks at Disneyland Resort and end your walk in Downtown Disney.One of the fun parts about participating in CHOC Walk is that you get to see a bunch of characters all along the route. Some of the characters might even be ones that aren’t normally out in the Parks during most days. You are welcome to stop and take photos all along the way if you choose. It’s just a wonderful experience,overall, and all for a great cause.Here are some fun facts I learned about CHOC,during the walk, from signs that were posted along the route:

CHOC is partnering with primary and specialty care pediatricians to improve health outcomes for kids.
CHOC’s new neonatal intensive care unit, which opened this past July, features 36 private rooms and enhanced family amenities.
CHOC has the only trauma center in Orange County exclusively dedicated to children.
CHOC is a Leapfrog Top Hospital for safe, quality care.
CHOC’s Small Baby Unit is improving outcomes for the tiniest and sickest of preemies.
CHOC is a Magnet facility for nursing excellence.
The CHOC Children’s Mental Health Center, opening next year, will offer Orange County’s first inpatient program for children under 12.
Since its inception, the CHOC Walk has raised more than $30 million.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to participate in this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park, I highly encourage you to do so next year. It was a lot of fun and an experience that had me leaving the event with a full heart afterwards. Also, if you aren’t able to make the event at all, you always have the option of registering as a “Sleeping Bear”, which means that you are a registered walker but are virtually walking on the day of the event, from the comfort of your own bed.
Won’t YOU consider joining in and walking with us next year? I sure hope so! Every participant makes a difference for these kids! For more information about CHOC Walk in the Park, please visit here. Connect with CHOC Walk on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Spend a Magical Morning Participating in the 2015 CHOC “Walk in the Park” at The Disneyland Resort!

October 3, 2015 / Lifestyle

It was such an honor to be part of the 24th Annual CHOC “Walk in the Park” at The Disneyland Resort last year that we’re participating in it again this year!

In 2014, 16,000 walkers who came out to walk for the children and, as a result, over 2 million dollars was raised. The monies go straight towards helping fund care, family services, education, and research that CHOC provides for so many. As a teacher who is local to the CHOC area, I have know many families who have received services there, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. It’s a pretty amazing place!

CHOC “Walk in the Park”, presented by the Disneyland Resort, is the largest, most unique single pediatric walk event in the nation. This year’s event will be held the morning of Sunday, October 11 and is expected to draw an estimated 15,000 participants from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan. (I think it’s going to exceed last year’s number.) More exciting news is that the CHOC Walk is celebrating its 25th silver anniversary this year simultaneously with the Disneyland Resort’s Diamond Celebration.

There are a few different ways that YOU can help! First of all, you can participate in the CHOC Walk, yourself. Grab your friends, grab your family, even grab some of your Instagram followers, and join in! There aren’t many things that can drag an adult out of bed this early on a weekend. You’ll be beyond touched when you are surrounded by the crowd. I shed quite a few tears during the event.

You’ll see so many families walking together as a way to say “thank you” to the doctors and nurses at CHOC, as well as honor their loved ones who have been patients there. It’s an experience I highly recommend, especially something to include your own child(ren) in.

Also, getting to walk inside of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure before opening hours is something you can’t even pay to do! It’s a magical experience. Trust me when I say that The Disneyland Resort will have lots of surprises awaiting the CHOC Walkers because they just don’t disappoint. To register as individual or find a team to walk with for CHOC Walk, click here.

Each year, the CHOC Walk features a special ambassador. This year’s CHOC Walk ambassador is Mac Christman. Read more about Mac’s story here. As part of this year’s event, CHOC Children’s is hosting its first CHOC Walk Ambassador’s Luau on Saturday, October 10, 2015, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel.

The CHOC Walk Ambassador’s Luau promises to be a fun-filled afternoon for the whole family that will take place the day before the CHOC “Walk in the Park,” presented by the Disneyland Resort. For more information about this special event and to purchase tickets, click here.

Another way for people to support the event is to register for the Walk as a “Sleeping Bear.” This special designation allows CHOC supporters who cannot make it on Walk day to still raise money and support CHOC Children’s.

“Sleeping Bears” receive a CHOC Walk T-shirt and are eligible to earn prizes from their fundraising efforts. For more information about how to register as a “Sleeping Bear”, click here.

There are so many ways you can show support for CHOC Walk! We’re participating again this year to show our own support. Won’t you join us?

Learn more about this year’s event, register, or donate, click here. Connect with CHOC Walk in the Park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own. Logo images property of CHOC and Disneyland Resort.

We’re Doing CHOC Walk at The Disneyland Resort!

August 23, 2014 / Disney, Lifestyle, Orange County

I’m excited to share with everyone that Emi and I will be doing the CHOC Walk in the Park on October 12th this year for our first time. We’ll be participating as part of the Blogging While Walking Team!

The 23rd Annual CHOC Walk will be held at The Disneyland Resort, and will go through both parks and Downtown Disney. This is a wonderful opportunity for people (like us) to help raise money which goes towards health care programs and medical research for CHOC.

Emi and I would LOVE it if you would consider sponsoring us for the CHOC Walk so we can reach our goal. No donation is too small and every little bit helps. To donate to our team, just click here! We thank you in advance. We’re so excited to be participating in something that benefits such a great cause.

To read more about the 23rd Annual CHOC Walk in the Park, click here.