On October 11th, 2015, 15,000 people poured into The Disneyland Resort to participate in the 25th annual CHOC Walk in the Park.  This one-of-a-kind 5k event takes participants through the Disneyland Resort in the wee hours of the morning to express gratitude to the wonderful care that CHOC has provided many of these families.

In anticipation and celebration of the event’s 25th anniversary, The Disneyland Resort and CHOC Foundation presented the first annual CHOC Walk Ambassador’s Luau on the evening before the walk at the stunning Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel.  The luau was hosted by seven of the CHOC Walk Ambassadors (seven children that were chosen to represent and share their CHOC journey and be a representative of all the other children who are experiencing their own medical journeys filled with apprehensive, courage, and inspiration.)  The Ambassadors are:

• Mac Christman – 2015
• Kailualani Tagaloa – 2014
• Dean Hirsch – 2013
• Adela Jauregui – 2012
• Nolan Torres – 2011
• Alexys Alonzo – 2010
• Zach Torres – 2009

To kick off the evening, Guests were greeted with an Aloha welcome and a Polynesian lei at the entrance of the event, which began with a luau reception featuring cheese and fruit platters, family-friendly activities, and live entertainment by Gavyn Bailey.  There were yo-yo demonstrations courtesy of Duncan (a sponsor of the event), balloon animals by Mr. Keith the Balloonman , and face painting opportunities for the little ones.  Of course, no Disney event would be complete without photo ops with our favorite characters – I got the chance to post with the main Mouse himself, Mickey!  Funcaptured Photobooth hosted a photo booth scrap-booking area where people could take their photos and share why they were supporting CHOC Walk.

Another one of the sponsors of the event, Hālau Hula Lani Ola, provided dance lessons of the “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride” hula from  Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, and attached beautiful orchids to participants’ hair – left side if you are married, and right side if you are single.

After the reception, guests were invited into The Disneyland Resort Grand Ballroom, where they were treated to a Polynesian-inspired feast for dinner!  As the resident foodie for Babes in Disneyland, it was an unforgettable luau spread complete with Kalua Pig nachos, beef tenderloin, and lumpia with dipping suace!  As we were seated, the Master of Ceremonies, Angela Baraquio Grey (Miss America 2001), took the stage and introduced the performance group for the night – the award-winning Tupua Productions.

Artist Jim Mulligan, who was on hand to embellish two of his Disney paintings (one featuring Ariel, The Little Mermaid, and the other featuring Stitch) also performed a live art performance on stage, creating a glittery Mickey Mouse portrait right before our eyes.  Then, he auctioned all three of his art pieces to the highest bidder with proceeds going to CHOC.

The CHOC Ambassadors took the stage with their families, and Mac Christman, CHOC Ambassador for 2015, and his father took to the stage to say a few words as to what this event, and CHOC Walk, truly meant to them.

The evening concluded with additional performances from Tupua Productions and a dance-off!

This was an amazing event and kudos go to all the sponsors, including Honda, Downtown Disney, Wolff Horticulture, Hawaiian Airlines, Kaman’s Art Shoppes, Duncan, Halau Hula Lani Ola, and Tupua Productions, for making this Ambassador Luau a success!  We can’t wait for next year!

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This particular cause is a personal one for me and I wanted to dedicate this post to my high school friend Jamie Franz Ankeny and her 4-year-old son Carter, who was recently diagnosed at CHOC on October 1, 2015 (less than 2 weeks ago) with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L).  If you’ve ever visited the Disneyland Resort when Suburban Legends was on stage at Tomorrowland Terrance, chances are you saw Carter – with his headphones – dancing the night away at Disneyland.

Photo courtesy of Matthew King, Capture the Shot Photography

I’m sharing his story as this is a perfect example of what CHOC Walk does – it brings together family and friends who have come to rally in support of this amazing four-year old and his family.  It’s so wonderful to see everyone support the amazing care that CHOC has given their children and how they provide a foundation to these families that are starting their journeys. There is a long road ahead for Carter but I know that his family – with the support of CHOC, their friends, family, and even the strangers who have heard Carter’s story, will get through this.  For more on Carter’s journey, please visit their GiveForward page. If you saw or knew anyone that walked for Carter (#TeamCarter) at CHOC Walk this past weekend, let me know!

Re-posted with permission

Even though the Walk event is over, you can still participate in the fundraising until the end of October!  Visit www.chocwalk.org for more details on how you can participate in this year’s event and how you can start preparing for the next one!  We hope to see you next year at the Ambassador’s Luau and CHOC Walk 2016!