American Dream To Host Make-A-Wish Walk For Critically Ill Children

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Allie's one true wish was to meet her one of her favorite cartoon characters Dora the Explorer. Make-A-Wish made that happen for her.

Now the foundation alum is joining the Walk & Roll For Wishes at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford in an effort to raise funds to help make other kids' wishes come true as well.

On April 29, Make-A-Wish New Jersey, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is hosting the fundraising effort, powered by wish families and friends, to create "life-changing wishes" for children with critical illnesses.

Make-A-Wish alum Allie — who was born with four different heart defects known as the Tetralogy of Fallot — and her family have formed "Team Queen Bee," which is raising money to grant those wishes, and will help lead the walk later this month.

The event will include a walk inside American Dream, and a program filled with Make-A-Wish stories and testimonies, like that of 10-year-old Logan, who — just last year at the mall — had his wish granted to meet his favorite pups from the TV series PAW Patrol, Patch reported.

Every year since Allie's wish was granted in 2015, her fundraising team has participated in the Walk for Wishes, her mom Melissa said. So far this year, the team has raised more than $500 to gift to the Make-A-Wish mission.

“We are so excited to get to finally walk again to show our appreciation for all Make-A-Wish did for our family and help raise funds to help other families get to experience what we did," Melissa said in a statement.

Melissa and her daughter traveled to Universal Studios Florida to make the special meeting between Allie and Dora possible. She is now "wishing it forward" to help make wishes for other kids come true, a release said.

“Allie’s wish was such a blessing to her and our entire family,” her mom Melissa said. “It was the first big trip we were able to take as a family in between her constant appointments. It was a beautiful few days, free of doctor’s visits.”

Make-A-Wish invites others to be a part of the "life-changing power of a wish" as well, and to sign up for the Walk and Roll For Wishes.

Interested participants can register at nj.wish.org/walkandroll.

"Your support will help Make-A-Wish New Jersey transform lives, one wish at a time," the chapter said in a release.