SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More than 1,500 people gathered at SeaWorld Saturday morning for the inaugural Rady Children's Walkabout, an exclusive fundraising event that opened the theme park's gates early for families, patients, doctors and nurses from Rady Children's Hospital.
The event began at 7:30 a.m. with ABC 10News anchor Jared Aaron energizing the crowd before participants walked through SeaWorld's gates for a special experience designed to raise funds and awareness for the hospital's patient programs.
Among the participants was Kamila Saradpon, a patient at Rady Children's Hospital since she was a baby. She has a rare genetic blood disorder called beta thalassemia that requires blood transfusions every two weeks.
"I'm planning to have a lot of fun. I really like to pet the manta rays and going on the roller coasters," Saradpon said.
Her father, Kriss Saradpon, said the event helps raise awareness for conditions like his daughter's.
"Really brings the community together and allows us to celebrate all the warriors that these children are," Kriss Saradpon said.
Participants walked along a designated path throughout SeaWorld, experiencing dolphin shows, orca performances and other attractions during their exclusive visit.
According to Alex Loker, vice president of philanthropy at Rady Children's Hospital, the fundraiser supports patient experience programs that insurance doesn't cover.
"We're fundraising today to be able to build new and needed patient experience programs at Rady Children's," Loker said.
"We need things like toys on a regular basis to celebrate birthdays, people to have art supplies, be able to have a whole bunch of fun things that help kids be kids even while they're being treated in the hospital," Loker said.
For parents like Kriss Saradpon, whose child frequently visits the hospital, these programs provide crucial emotional support.
"The programs that they offer, the extracurricular and just giving that personal human touch in that bedside manner really helps help the children transition and not look at their situation in such dire need," Kriss Saradpon said.
Rady Children's Hospital plans to make the walkabout an annual tradition.
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