On Sept. 30, friends, supporters, donors, hospital staff, and patient families gathered to celebrate Walker’s Imaginarium – a “halfway there” celebration marking the fundraising and project planning progress for the first-of-its-kind child enrichment center that will be located at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Last fall, Children’s Hospital announced plans to build Walker’s Imaginarium, a 12,000 square foot child enrichment center that will be made possible in partnership with Kids Join The Fight, and with generous philanthropic support from the community. The innovative space will not only provide a therapeutic environment for patients and families to enjoy time together while in the hospital, but it will serve as place for patients to thrive and find joy. It will be a place just for kids, full of imagination, exploration, escape, togetherness, hope, and comfort.
“Walker’s Imaginarium will serve as the example for how we can deliver more for kids and families when they need it most,” said Lou Fragoso, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “This amazing vision set forth by the Beery family will transform the experience of our patients and their families – placing kids at the center. I get most excited when imagine all the happy moments that this space will bring despite the challenges that many healthcare journeys can bring.”
One year into fundraising efforts, the dream of Walker’s Imaginarium is much closer to becoming a reality – with nearly $8 million secured in commitments and the next phases of project planning now underway, including exhibit and architectural design. Eskew+Dumez+Ripple has been selected as the architectural design partner, and exhibit design will be completed by Gyroscope, Inc.
“This vision started with Walker’s desire to do something to help kids like him. And in Walker’s legacy, we have worked together with our incredible community of supporters to, as he would say, ‘get after it’,” said Taylor Beery, Walker’s father and co-founder of Kids Join The Fight. “Walker’s Imaginarium will enhance each patient’s care and provide joyful moments while families navigate their healthcare journeys. Most importantly, it will provide moments of joy and normalcy that these children and their families so highly value and so deeply deserve.”
Major donors to the project include Boysie and Joy Billinger, who were among the earliest supporters of the vision for Walker’s Imaginarium with a $1 million matching grant. Other major donors include the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, the family of Fran Villere, Gallo Mechanical, The Fore!Kids Foundation, the Damon J. Batiste Family Office, the Eugenie & Joseph Jones Family Foundation, the Fakier Family in memory of Rebecca Fakier, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Helis Foundation, and many others without whom this dream would not be possible. Fundraising will continue over the coming year as project planning continues.
In August 2019, Walker Beery was diagnosed with a very aggressive pediatric brain cancer, medulloblastoma. Throughout surgeries, hospital stays, and multiple radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Walker’s courage and gratefulness always amazed his family, his medical community, and all who encountered him during his two-year battle with cancer. Walker died following a courageous battle with medulloblastoma on Sept. 4, 2021, but his legacy lives on in the great work that Kids Join The Fight does today. Walker began the nonprofit to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer and help other kids and their families battling against pediatric cancer. Kids Join The Fight is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation that has raised more than $4 million in total since its inception and held kid-led events in all 50 states every year since 2021.