Journey Lutheran Church in Fishers will hold its second wiffle ball tournament Aug. 4 to grant Make-A-Wish wishes for two local children, Riann Collier and Parker Burns.
Burns is a 6-year-old from Noblesville battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His wish is to go to Disneyland. Collier is a 13-year-old from Indianapolis battling lupus, and her wish is to go to The Atlantis.
Last year, the church raised money to benefit a 9-year-old from Noblesville. Pastor Jon Van Sliedrecht said the church doesn’t pick candidates. Rather, it asks Make-A-Wish to provide local children to benefit.
“We just want to do good in our community and make a difference. Our vision and mission is about transforming lives and multiplying disciples,” Van Sliedrecht said. “It’s a way to love on a family or families in our community to help them and to find joy in types of situations that are struggles and tragedies. It’s a way for them to be able to have something to change where they are at emotionally, mentally and physically.”
The event is Aug. 4 at Journey Lutheran Ministries, 10401 E. 116th St. Individual registration is $25 and teams can register for $250. The registration deadline is Aug. 1. The form can be found at.journeylutheranministries.org/wiffleball-tournament.html.
“As a church, we pray with them and for them,” Van Sliedrecht said. “If they go to the hospital, I go. We are a part of that process. We want to be able to support them as a family, not just as a child. We want to be with everyone. We bring meals and find niches of our own ministry and apply that to these families.”
