By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
Over the summer, Patrick O’Toole of Liverpool posed a challenge to his 9-year-old son, Finn O’Toole.
“My dad challenged me this summer to do something kind for others,” said Finn.
Finn is taking on his dad’s dare in a big way. He is coordinating a 24-hour bike-a-thon to raise money for Make-A-Wish Central New York, which grants wishes — trips to Disney World, bedroom makeovers and meet-and-greets with celebrities or pro athletes — to critically ill children.
“We talked a lot about how lucky we are to be healthy, especially now during times where there’s a lot of sick people and there’s a lot of people going through tough things,” said Patrick, Finn’s dad.
Finn’s Ride for Wishes
Visit http://site.wish.org/goto/FinnsRideForWishes to register for Finn O’Toole’s 24-hour bike-a-thon to benefit Make-A-Wish Central New York.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, participants are invited to post photos and and share their ride times and fundraising totals on Make-A-Wish CNY’s Finn’s Ride for Wishes Facebook event page at facebook.com/makeawishcny. The goal is to collectively reach 24 hours and $2,500.
Incentives are being offered to help participants reach their personal goals, including a Make-A-Wish swag basket for those raising $200 or more, a “Wish Rider” bicycle license plate for those raising $100 or more, and a Make-A-Wish fidget spinner for those raising $50 or more. Anyone interested in purchasing a “Finn’s Ride for Wishes” T-shirt may do so at https://store.masteryourimage.com/FRFW/shop/home.
Like many fundraising runs and rides sidelined by COVID-19, Finn’s Ride for Wishes is a virtual event. Finn is asking participants to bike in their own neighborhoods for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour or more on Saturday, Sept. 19. Each cyclist will submit their time to contribute to the team goal of 24 hours. Prizes will be awarded to participants who hit certain fundraising milestones. (See sidebar for more information.)
“It’s something I thought I could get my friends to do — ride their bikes for a while — and it’s something the kids in the hospital sadly can’t do,” Finn said.
Currently, there are 190 children in Make-A-Wish CNY’s 15-county coverage area waiting for their wishes to be granted. In Onondaga County, 65 “Wish Kids” are waiting. The coronavirus pandemic has put travel-related wishes on hold.
“They’ve lost a couple of kids who never got their wish,” said Patrick
Finn chose Make-A-Wish after learning that his friend from kindergarten, Angelina, was a Wish Kid. Angelina, who uses a wheelchair, received a barnyard-themed backyard makeover and achieved her dream of riding a horse.
Finn and his friends are more than halfway to meeting their goal of $2,500.
“It makes me feel good and makes me feel proud that I accomplished something,” Finn said of his progress. “The average Wish Kid’s wish is about $10,000.”
“It’s an incredible amount of money that they put out there to give these kids a trip or an experience their family will never forget,” Patrick said. “You start small and you dream big. It’d be awesome if we could surpass our goal.”
While the pandemic has kept Finn from going door-to-door to deliver his pitch to neighbors, he has reached out to friends and is writing letters to local businesses to ask for donations.
“The big push has come from the community and the friends that have come in to ride,” Patrick said. “It’s really been a team effort to get to this point.”
Finn is taking pride in helping kids like his friend, Angelina.
“I just wanted to make kids happier,” he said.