The 16th annual Walk for Wishes brough hundreds to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown.

Walk for Wishes is a major fundraising event for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley. Their goal is to raise over $140,000 to grant 250 wishes.

It kicked off with an opening celebration and a 1.5-mile loop around the park.

"It's super essential. Especially after the last two years with the pandemic,” said Kristine Burton, President and COE of Make a Wish Hudson Valley. “A lot of our kids weren't able to travel on their wishes because of travel restrictions. They've been waiting to have their wish…Funds like today help make that possible.”

Benjamin Tappana, 8, was diagnosed with leukemia at age 4. Today, he is cancer free. He found out at the event that his wish was going to be granted.

The Tappana family was thrilled to hear the news that in January, they are going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida.

"I was completely stunned. On the inside, I was just so happy, but on the outside, just looked stunned," he said.

“We’ve never done anything like this before, so it’s going to be incredible,” said his mother, Maggie Tappana.

Research indicates that children granted a wish can build up the physical and emotional strength needed to fight their illness.

Abraham Almanza knows that all too well. He had a wish granted by Make-A-Wish back in 1999.

"It was that light at the end of the tunnel that I had to wait for. It gave me that extra push I needed to get through my treatment,” Almanza said.