A Tremont, Illinois man visited Jacksonville briefly this morning in an effort to raise money and awareness for the hospital needs of Illinois Children.
Last Saturday, Tom Brewer began the 4th leg of a four-year project that will take him approximately 530 miles across the state aimed at benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Illinois that will take him from Alton to the OSF Children’s Hospital in Peoria.
Brewer says Tom’s Walk for CHOI is a family project that started three years ago when as a family they decided they wanted to help support the hospital.
“We’ve organized a walk that, if you look at the map, it simulates a cross over the State of Illinois. This is our last leg this year. We do it for several reasons, first of all, we want to help all the little kids out there especially the ones who need help after they are born. Secondly, with these flags and things we are carrying, we are just trying to make people aware of what the children’s hospital does.”
Brewer left the O.S.F. Healthcare St. Anthony’s Health Center in Alton at 8:00 am Saturday to walk the last segment of his journey. Brewer was joined by his son, who is also named Tom, as they passed through downtown Jacksonville around the 10 o’clock hour this morning.
Brewer says they expected to make it “just shy” of Virginia today. He says he and his son Tom were not too concerned about the afternoon storms predicted for this afternoon because his wife is in charge of their shuttle car and can pick them up if they “get into any trouble”.
Brewer says his family covers all costs for Tom’s Walk so any money raised goes directly to the Children’s Hospital. He says the walk is his way to try and pay it forward.
“In the long term, we are doing it for other reasons. One is just kind of in thanksgiving because we are all in relatively good health. It’s thanksgiving and I’m just trying to pay it forward in case one of my grandkids or great-grandkids should need help in the future.”
The first three segments of Tom’s Walk, took him to Peoria each year starting from hospitals in Rockford, Monmouth, and Danville. He says he expects to reach OSF Children’s Hospital in Peoria on Saturday, May 8th and has invited supporters to join him and his family to walk the last mile of the trip around the hospital campus.
Brewer says family members update his progress online each day and those wanting to follow his progress or make a donation can do both online.
“The best way to do that is to go to Tom’s Walk 4 CHOI on Facebook. It will give you some links so you can find postings and what people have done. There’s also a link there if you want to donate, otherwise, you can go there and see what it’s all about.”
to find out more information about the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, go to www.osfhealthcare.org/childrens.
To follow Tom’s progress or to make a donation go to Tom’s Walk 4 CHOI on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tomswalk4choi