WELLESLEY, MASS. (WHDH) - Ninja turtles, cats, cowboys and cows all joined together in Wellesley Sunday for the fourth annual Boston Haunted Walk to raise money for Shriners Children’s Boston.
The event took place at the Garden at Elm Bank and featured a costume contest, face painting, raffles, games and snacks. The money raised will ultimately support pediatric burn care, reconstructive plastic surgery and cleft lip and palate care.
Former Shriners patient Sheila Hegarty spoke with 7NEWS during festivities, sharing her gratitude for the Shriners organization.
“If it wasn’t for Shriners, we wouldn’t be the family we are,” she said. “The care that we were given goes far beyond the orthopedics that I needed both, financial and emotional.”
Members of the Griggs family also shared their gratitude. Their now five-year-old daughter, Scarlett, stepped into the hot ash of a fire pit when she was two. Scarlett ultimately spent three weeks in the hospital. Now, she is able to dance and play soccer like any other kid.
“We didn’t really know how to deal with it,” said Scarlett’s father, Nathan. “And Shriners has all those resources to help, not just my wife and I, but also our daughter who had to go through the burn and skin grafts.”
Families can receive care even if they can’t afford it, making it possible for families, patients and doctors to focus solely on recovery.
The fundraising goal for this event was $380,000. Organizers said they surpassed their goal with more than $410,000 raised.
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