Shriners Walk For Love

In September of 2010, I contacted Shriners about setting an appointment for the little girl we would be adopting soon.  Hannah received excellent care there, and part of the reason we felt comfortable pursuing Katie's adoption a couple years later was because we knew that Shriners would work with us to help her get up and walking.  Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to "give back" (a tiny fraction) by participating in Shriners' Walk For Love.

Paul and I took Jack, Hannah, and Katie to the walk.  There were lots of fun things to do before and after the main event.

There were oodles of Shriners present from all over the state.  It was neat to see the different groups represented.

Jack and Katie spent a lot of time on the inflatable obstacle course.

Hannah and I walked around a bit and met one of the therapy animals that visits patients at the hospital.

It was a gorgeous day, not too hot, but plenty warm enough to be comfortable.

I don't have any pictures from during the actual walk, because we were all walking, but it was a great experience.  For part of the walk, we walked next to a homeschool family with a high school aged girl with a prosthetic leg.  I loved being at this event because it helped normalize differences for my girls.  There were lots of prosthetic legs, AFOs, and wheelchairs.

Katie gets a hug from Fezzy, the Shriners mascot.

After the walk, we had a BBQ lunch.  We found a shady spot across the street to enjoy our burgers and chips.

Before heading home, we got in the bear care line.  All the kids present were given a stuffed animal.

Then you took your new friend through a series of stations to get them a check up.

This was a fun way to be exposed to medical paraphernalia without it being scary.

Hannah's penguin about to slide in for an MRI.

The Shriners Walk For Love was a good experience, and I hope we can participate next year!  Our family team raised $250 this year, and I would love to see us double that next year.


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