Ignite Hope offers illustration of support for
those under care at Phoenix Children’s
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The annual Ignite Hope candlelight walk is Saturday, Dec. 10.
As Phoenix Children’s expands its reach across Arizona, Ignite Hope will kick off at North High School found at 1101 E. Thomas Road in Phoenix. The event begins in the afternoon, officials there say.
The anticipated event combines a holiday candlelight walk to show support for families coping with illnesses or injuries during the holiday season and a brief program showcasing stories of hope, according to a press release.
For many the event has become an annual family tradition and opportunity to give back to the local community. All proceeds from participant fundraising efforts benefit the Phoenix Children’s Hope Fund, the release states.
The festivities kick off at North High School in Central Phoenix. Registered walkers 4 years of age and older will receive battery-operated candles and commemorative T-shirts.
Ignite Hope 2023 schedule:
- 3 p.m. – Festival
- 3:30 p.m. – Thomas Road street closure begins
- 5:30 p.m. – Walk starts
- 6:10 p.m. – Holiday carolers program
- 6:35 p.m. – Self-guided return walk to North High School
Ignite Hope details:
- Pre-registration is $45 for adults, $15 for children ages 4-12, and free for children 3 and younger.
- Day of registration is $55 for adults and $15 for youth.
- There is no registration fee for virtual participants.
- Festivals begin at 3 p.m. Walks begin at 5:30 p.m. Program and carolers begin at 6:10 p.m.
The Ignite Hope tradition began in 2012 when friends and family of then 15-year-old Phoenix Children’s patient Katie Wagner held a candlelight vigil outside her hospital window after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Katie participated in the first Ignite Hope walk. Sadly, she passed away in September 2013. The candlelight tradition has lived on in her remembrance to brighten the lives of patients while marshaling community spirit by raising funds for Phoenix Children’s.
