Make A Wish - Hank's Rafting Wish
In this video our team is sharing the story of a a young boater named Hank who, after his battle with Leukemia, decided he wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps and wished become a rafter. Our friends at Sotar reached out to us for help on behalf of Make-A-Wish in making this wish come true and with the help of some amazing sponsors the team stepped up and made Hank’s wish come true in time for the 2022 Feather River Festival.
Our friends at American Whitewater helped to provide an incredible back drop to make this happen with such a huge gathering of boaters embodying the spirit of the river community. Getting the gear together was no small feat, but we can’t thank our friends at Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, ExPed, NRS, Pit Viper, Rumpl, and Sawyer Paddles and Oars. We also can’t thank all of the folks who came out to cheer Hank on enough for being there to support him and his family. We also want to give a huge shout out to Cheyenne Arrington and Nick Coulter for donating their time to capturing the video and putting together this amazing video.
Hank’s Story
Hank has always been a very energetic and adventurous child. So, Hank’s mother became very concerned when he started sleeping away his days instead of playing. Hank was taken to be seen by multiple doctors, where he underwent numerous medical tests. Then, just after celebrating his third birthday, his results returned, and Hank was unfortunately diagnosed with leukemia. Immediately following his diagnosis, Hank was transferred to Valley Children’s Hospital to undergo surgery and start chemotherapy treatment. As of now, Hank has responded well to treatment and his mother exclaims that, “he is an amazing son, and he will have a great future!” Hank is a very happy little boy, and his spirit is larger than life! He likes spending his time playing outside, swimming, and riding his bike. Hank loves the color yellow and his favorite subject in school is math. He likes going out to eat Mexican food with his family, especially when they go to Castillo’s! Hank also enjoys watching He-Man on TV and playing with his collection of He-Man figurines. Also, Hank loves reading all of the Harry Potter books, as well as playing with his little brother.
Hank absolutely loves traveling and exploring nature, which is why for his wish he asked for his very own whitewater raft and camping gear! He envisions owning at least a 12-foot-long whitewater raft with helmets and life jackets so that he can go river rafting with his loved ones whenever he wants. Hank also dreams of owning packable camping gear like a large tent, sleeping bags, a water filtration system, and other items so that they can go on longer rafting trips and camp as a family! It’s also very important to him to have some water guns to bring on their adventures and play around with his brother. Hank is so excited for his wish and can’t wait for it to come true so he and his family can embark on their next adventure!
