Walk the CHOC

Bryce Alderton

Some came to support children who have died, some came to see the big

red fire engines, some came to see the giant CHOCO Bear, and some came to

see a world-renowned mouse.

“Mickey Mouse,” said Trevor Monroe, 3, as he sat in the front of the

stroller he and his older brother, Duncan, occupied while mother Leslie

pushed it along the bridge that connects South Coast Plaza to the other

side of Bristol Street.

The Monroes were among the more than 7,000 walkers of all ages who

strolled around outside the mall on Sunday in the 11th annual Children’s

Hospital of Orange County/Disneyland Resort Community Walk, the

hospital’s largest fund-raiser.

All of Monroe’s three children spent time at CHOC when they were born

prematurely.

Monroe, an Anaheim resident, has always wanted to walk and she finally

got her chance on Sunday.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Monroe said. “If it weren’t for

[hospital staff], I don’t know what would have happened to my kids.”

Alex Tobin spent virtually all his life in the hospital with a chronic

lung condition before he died in 1996 at the age of 4.

The Tobin family has participated in the walk every year since 1996.

On Sunday, the team of 20 wore yellow T-shirts boasting Alex’s picture on

the front.

Alex’s aunts, Erin Niverson and Liz Erwin, each have children, with

Erwin expecting a second girl in January.

“It brings us together as a family,” Niverson said, with Erwin nodding

as she ate a glazed doughnut.

“It allows us to remember the happy times we spent together,” Erwin

said.

Patriotism abounded during the walk Sunday as flags flew and walkers

gathered, wearing their red, white and blue.

Sunday was Anaheim Hills resident Bryan Carlson’s first time at the

walk. He wore a stars-and-stripes bandanna and held an American flag as

he waited for the walk to begin.

“It’s a good chance for people to get together and do something to

support the community and hospital,” Carlson said. “And a little bit of

me is still thinking about New York.”

About 800 volunteers came out Sunday to work parking, registration and

booths while cheering walkers on. Among them was 18-year-old Angela Chou,

a political science freshman at UC Irvine, who shouted words of

encouragement to walkers.

“It’s good to see all the people who care for a cause. Everyone is

uniting for children,” Chou said. “Seeing all the little kids makes me

feel good.”

Total amounts raised for this year’s walk won’t be available for a

couple of weeks, but the event has raised more than $3.3 million since

the first walk in 1991.

The money raised goes toward children’s medical services at both the

Orange and Mission Viejo hospital sites.

“Everybody’s participation allows CHOC to continue providing the best

medical care in Orange County,” said walk co-chair Dana Davis.

* Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .