24 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 23, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM BEST FEET FORWARD
Bayside walkathon raises more than $110K for St. Mary’s Hospital
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
St. Mary’s Healthcare System for
Children raised more than $110,000 at its
14th annual Big Hearts Walk for St. Mary’s
Kids fundraiser on May 19 at Crocheron
Park in Bayside to support the critically ill
and injured kids at the hospital.
More than 300 participants — including
patients who are learning to walk through
the Locomotor Th erapy Program at St.
Mary’s — gathered at Crocheron Park to
participate in the Big Hearts Walk for St.
Mary’s Kids.
“Th ere’s nothing better than spending
the morning outdoors with our community,
celebrating our children and ensuring
we can continue providing them with
the best possible care,” said Dr. Edwin
Simpser, president and CEO of St. Mary’s
Healthcare System for Children. “Th e
funds raised at today’s event will ensure
we can continue our eff orts to provide
high-quality care to New York’s sickest
kids. We’re so grateful to the entire St.
Mary’s community for their support of the
Big Hearts Walk.”
For the fi rst time, patients in St. Mary’s
Hospital’s innovative Locomotor Th erapy
program led the Big Hearts Walk. Th e
children, who had previously been paralyzed
due to illness or injury, used the
skills they’ve developed in a therapeutic
setting to take some of their fi rst steps and
inspire the participants.
Th e Big Hearts Walk included multiple
walking routes, in addition to a “virtual
walk” option for those unable to participate
in person. Entrants to the walk were
greeted by an NYPD steel drum band, and
members of the NYPD Mounted Unit led
the participants through the route.
Following the walk, volunteers facilitated
a Family Fun Day featuring face painting,
a photo booth, cotton candy, costumed
superheroes and more activities for
children and adults.
More than 300 participants gathered at Crocheron Park in Bayside to participate in the Big Hearts Walk for St. Mary’s Kids.
Th e top team fundraisers this year were
“Melissa Rob & Friends,” “Luke’s Warriors,”
“Maureen Folan Real Estate Group,” “Team
Pastoressa” and “CEA Fitness.”
Top individual fundraisers this year were
Robert Heicklen, Catherine Pastoressa,
Patricia Magas, Colette Saccomanno and
M. Riley.
Pastoressa, whose team surpassed their
goal of $3,500 raising a total of $5,090,
was honored at the Big Hearts Walk for
St. Mary’s Kids. She was named community
leader for the hospital last year, and
has spent a lot of time both volunteering
at the hospital and working with the
foundation, Pastoressa said on her fundraising
page.
“During my time at St. Mary’s, I have
been blessed to have made tons of tiny little
friends there that completely amaze
me,” Pastoressa wrote. “Th ey are some of
the bravest kids with the most incredible
hearts I have ever seen. Th ey have taught
me so much and have truly changed my
life for the better. I have also been fortunate
enough to work with some of the
kindest hearted, selfl ess and caring people
I have ever met.”
Pastorella added, “Since my fi rst day
volunteering at St. Mary’s I knew I wanted
to try and do as much as I could to help
raise both funds and awareness for the
place that houses so many of my new little
friends. St. Mary’s is a very special place to
me, and I feel extremely lucky to be able
to be apart of such a wonderful organization
that helps so many families throughout
the Tri State area.”
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