LIVERPOOL — Last summer, 10-year-old Finn O’Toole, of Liverpool, received a challenge from his dad to do something good for others. Inspired by a former schoolmate who received a wish through Make-A-Wish Central New York, Finn accepted that challenge and created a virtual bike-a-thon that raised close to $5,000 for the wish-granting organization.
A few weeks ago, Finn decided he wanted to ride again for the charity. This time he reached out to his former classmate, 9-year-old Angelina Facciolo, of Verona, who experienced her wish for a horse-themed accessible playground in 2018. Together, the pair will lead the Second Annual Ride for Wishes bike-a-thon and they invite kids from throughout Make-A-Wish Central New York’s 15-county territory to join them.
The Ride for Wishes takes place over the course of one week, from Sept. 26 through Oct. 2 and is intended to be a “ride where you are” bike-a-thon to ensure safety in the time of COVID-19.
Participants decide how long they’ll ride their bikes over the course of the week. Then, with their parents’ help, secure donations from family, friends, and community. During and after the event, riders are encouraged to post photos to Make-A-Wish Central New York’s social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @MakeAWishCNY.
Finn and Angelina hope to raise $5,000 in support of wishes for local, critically ill children. A fundraising platform is set up now for those interested in becoming a participant or in donating to support the event. To visit the platform, go to http://site.wish.org/goto/WishRide.
Event T-shirts will soon be available and fundraising prizes are being planned now. Updated information will be posted soon to cny.wish.org/events. Event-related questions may be directed to [email protected].
Make-A-Wish Central New York grants life-changing wishes for local, critically ill children in a 15-county region, including Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Tioga and Tompkins counties. For more information about the organization, visit cny.wish.org.
