Updated April 29, 11:11 a.m.–
By Sara Beth Williams– Miller’s Ace Hardware held its inaugural Walk for Wishes on Sunday, April 21, at their store on Madison Avenue in Citrus Heights. Store owner Jessica Rowell-Greenfield led a group of over 100 participants on a 1.5-mile walk through Fair Oaks Park to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation.
The family and pet friendly walk began at 11 a.m., and each participant received a bright blue commemorative shirt for joining in the walk. Rowell-Greenfield told The Sentinel that the event had 120 walking participants, and Sacramento Police Department’s mounted officer unit also participated in the walk.
Several other vendors came to celebrate, including various food vendors, Sacramento Ghostbusters, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, and the Citrus Heights Police Department.
Rowell-Greenfield told a local news station in a live interview that the Make-A-Wish foundation has always been a very important charity to her because her son was a Make-A-Wish recipient.
Donations from the participants reached $11,000, and could go higher, according to Rowell-Greenfield, who also said there were many more donations from residents who couldn’t attend the event in person. Several sponsors donated toward the cause as well, including real estate agency Ray Stone Inc, Republic Services, and VeriCast Media.
“We are grateful for the community’s response,” Rowell-Greenfield said, adding that she plans to continue holding the event annually.
In addition to the walk, in honor of World Wish Month, the store is accepting in-person donations all month long. All proceeds from the Walk for Wishes, and from the in-store Round up for Wishes campaign will go directly to the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Miller’s Ace Hardware, which employs adults and youth with cognitive disabilities, opened on June 27, 2023. Named after Rowell-Greenfield’s son, the 14,200-square-foot hardware and gardening store is located at 8077 Madison Ave. in Citrus Heights.
Related: New Ace Hardware store opens in Citrus Heights – Citrus Heights Sentinel
The Make-A-Wish foundation began in 1980 and has granted hundreds of thousands of life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses throughout it’s history, according to the foundation’s website.
