New City 5-year-old Named Grand Marshall for Annual Walk, Family Fun Day

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, the children’s hospital for the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, has named Eli Carson Whittaker of New City as the Grand Marshal of the 12th Annual Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day.

He will lead thousands of participants around WMCHealth’s main campus in Valhalla during the event’s signature procession.

Eli Carson was born at just 24 weeks gestation, weighed a mere 1 lb. 6 oz. and had a list of life-threatening health issues longer than his tiny body, officials said.

He survived with the help of the clinical staff in Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Today, Eli Carson is 5 years old, enjoying kindergarten and meeting many growth milestones. As Grand Marshal, he will represent the more than 20,000 children cared for each year by the pediatric services offered at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

Eli Carson’s official Grand Marshal appointment ceremony took place earlier Friday at Summit Park Elementary School in New City.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Vice President of Patient Care Services, Linda Hurwitz, R.N., presented Eli Carson with a specially-tailored Grand Marshal sash. The ceremony occurred in front of school administrators, teachers, Eli Carson’s family and 100+ kindergarten and first-grade students.

This year’s Go the Distance Walk & Family Fun Day takes place May 1.

The event, which includes a casual, one-mile walk and a host of family activities, is the biggest fundraiser for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, which cares for the region’s most seriously ill and injured children.

The Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day draws former patients, their families, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital staff and supportive community members from around the region, officials said.

To learn more about the Go the Distance Walk and Family Fun Day, including how participants can support advanced children’s healthcare in the region, interested parties are encouraged to visit the event website. Participants and others can stay up-to-date on event news and share their event-day experiences via social media by using the tag #GoTheDistance.