Eversource Walk for Boston Children’s Hospital: Frequently Asked Questions

No! We hope you will make a donation to your own fundraising during registration to show your commitment to helping kids at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Yes! Every member of the family is an important part of the Walk community, so we require that everyone registers. This includes kids!

There will be NO registration on event day. We require all participants to register online by 3 pm on Friday, June 6, in order to enjoy the festivities. Registering in advance also gives you time to fundraise, so you’ll have more to celebrate on June 8.

Yes! Ask your friends, family, and co-workers to join you and encourage them to share on social media why they are participating using #WalkforBCH.

We’d love for you to join us at the DCR Hatch Shell to enjoy our route along the Charles River, but you’re also welcome to create your own route, of any distance, in any location.

All participants who raise $150 or more by Walk Day will receive a Walk T-shirt. T-shirts will be available for pick-up on Walk Day and will not be mailed after the event. Raising funds is vital to helping kids and families, and earning your Walk T-shirt is a special achievement to wear proudly. Virtual participants will receive their t-shirts via mail.

No, but we ask that adult participants (13 and older) raise at least $250. Fundraising shows your commitment to helping kids and families at Boston Children’s Hospital. Every dollar provides lifesaving care, support services, and breakthrough research to patients and their families. Log in to your Fundraising Center for tips and tools to kick-start your fundraising!

Once you register, you’ll have access to your own Fundraising Center which has many tools to make fundraising easy, including suggested messages and templates for email and social media. We would love to hear about your successes and creative ideas!

If your team is not restricting to one of the hospital programs listed here, dollars raised for the Walk go to the hospital’s Every Child Fund—bringing lifesaving answers to the sickest children. 

Every dollar funds vital care and support services for our patients and their families—especially those enduring long hospital stays—and fuels research into treatments and cures that save lives.

Only team captains can restrict their team’s fundraising to one of the hospital funds listed here. Unless the team captain chooses one of these funds, dollars raised through the Walk will benefit the hospital’s Every Child Fund. 

Fundraising restrictions cannot be changed once a team is registered.

Each year, our team carefully evaluates the impact of donations raised by Walk participants, considering both the hospital’s greatest needs and where donations can make the most difference for patients. 

Additionally, to ensure that funds are eligible for consideration, team captains must have a history of fundraising success and/or a plan to fundraise $10,000 or more.

Miracle Makers are a special group of adults (age 13 and older) who raise $1,000 or more and kids (age 12 and under) who raise $500 or more! Along with special recognition from Boston Children’s, participants who achieve Miracle Maker status by May 26 will receive a Miracle Maker star displayed on Walk Day, a Miracle Maker T-shirt and more.

Learn more about Miracle Makers

Many companies offer matching gifts for their employees who give to nonprofits like Boston Children’s Hospital. Increase the impact of your donation by applying for your company to match your gift now.

View our matching gift guide

Your supporters can donate by:

• Giving online by credit card on your personal fundraising page.
• Making a check out to Boston Children’s Hospital. Please have your donor write your name and “Walk” on the memo line so we can ensure the donation is posted to your fundraising page.
• Giving you cash. Write a personal check or exchange cash for a bank check and mail it to us—please do not mail cash. Please write your donor’s information on the envelope so we can add them to your fundraising page.

Please encourage supporters to donate online through your personal fundraising page. If donors prefer to write a check, make checks payable to Boston Children’s Hospital and mail them along with this form to the following address:

Boston Children’s Hospital Trust
Attn: Gift Services/Walk
401 Park Drive, Suite 602
Boston, MA 02215
Boston Children’s Hospital’s Tax ID number: 04-2774441

Please have your donor write your name and “Walk” on the memo line so we can ensure our gift processing team can add donations received in the mail to your personal fundraising page. Allow 7–10 business days for the check donation to be reflected.

If you have any questions, please contact walk@chtrust.org or 866-303-WALK.

Yes. Boston Children’s Hospital acknowledges all gifts of $250 or more and sends receipts for these gifts per IRS guidelines. All online gifts will receive an automatic receipt.

Unfortunately, no. Because of technical changes that Meta (Facebook's owner) has made to Facebook Fundraisers and payment processing, Facebook Fundraisers are no longer compatible with our fundraising systems. Any funds raised through a Facebook Fundraiser will not count toward your fundraising efforts.

Anyone who registers for the Walk receives access to their own Fundraising Center, a personal fundraising website. Here you will find all of the tools you need to meet (and exceed!) your fundraising goal and track your progress. You can customize a fundraising page, access helpful resources, send emails to donors and more.

When you register for the Walk, you will receive an email with the link to access your Fundraising Center and your login credentials. You can always access the Fundraising Center by visiting the Walk homepage and clicking "Log in."

Yes, we hope you will! The more personal your page, the more funds you're likely to raise. You can customize it several ways:

• Your fundraising page will contain a generic photograph. We urge you to upload your own photo or even create your own mini gallery!
• Your fundraising page will  include a general message about why people participate in the Walk. We encourage you to replace this message with your own personal statement. Tell your story and explain why you fundraise for kids at Boston Children's.

Your personal fundraising page has a donate button that ensures all gifts are attributed to your personal total. There are many ways to share your page. We recommend posting a link to your page on social media, or sharing it with friends and family via email.

Team captains create a team during the registration process by selecting the “Start a Team” option.

All team members must register by 3 pm on Friday, June 6. During registration, people can join your team by searching for and choosing the team’s name. Or they can join your team directly from your team page. Log in to your Fundraising Center to see more options for recruiting teammates.

Yes. Once your team captain has registered, go to your personal fundraising page and click the "Join a Team" button. You won't have the option to join the team until the team captain has registered.

Yes! The Eversource Walk for Boston Children's Hospital is a wonderful opportunity for employees to gather and do good outside of the office. Email walk@chtrust.org to learn about the special benefits of creating a company team.

Participants who raise $150 or more will receive a Walk T-shirt on Walk Day, and virtual participants will receive theirs in the mail. Participants who reach Miracle Maker status will receive additional rewards. Teams that raise $2,500 or more by May 26 will receive a special team display check on Walk Day. T-shirts will not be mailed out after Walk Day.

You can choose your own route elsewhere—any distance, any time, in any location. Be sure to register before the deadline on Friday, June 6, at 3 pm.

All participants are welcome to start the 2- or 6-mile course between 9 am and 10:30 am. Enjoy food, live entertainment and more at the finish line. 

• 9:00 am - 10:30 am: Rolling start, live entertainment, family-friendly activities and more
• 10:00 am: Message from our CEO
• 10:30 am: Food Tent opens

See the Walk Event Details

By the “T” (subway)

• Take the Red Line to Charles MGH station. Then take the nearby footbridge across Storrow Drive and continue for a few hundred yards upriver. 
• Or take the Green Line to Arlington station. Then proceed up Arlington Street toward the Charles River and cross the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge. 

By car 

• There is no parking available at the DCR Hatch Shell. The Boston Common Garage is a short distance from the event. City parking meters are free on Sundays. There are metered spots available along Cambridge Street, Charles Street and other surrounding streets. From there, head to the corner of Beacon and Charles streets and then toward David G. Mugar Way to the Hatch Shell lawn. View Map

The Boston Common Garage is a short distance from the event. City parking meters are free on Sundays. There are metered spots available along Cambridge Street, Charles Street and other surrounding streets. From there, head to the corner of Beacon and Charles streets and then toward David G. Mugar Way to the Hatch Shell lawn. View Map

The route runs along the scenic Charles River. The two-mile route keeps you on the Storrow Drive side of the river (both there and back), while the six-mile route takes you across to the Memorial Drive side of the river and back over the Mass. Ave. bridge. There are two water stops along the route to keep you hydrated. Be sure to bring a reusable water bottle!

Participant safety is a high priority. Security personnel and police officers are present throughout the property and along the Walk route.

Absolutely—this is a family-friendly event. We welcome participants of all abilities to join us and use their medical assistance equipment. If you need additional assistance, please contact walk@chtrust.org.

For everyone’s safety, we ask that you don't jog, rollerblade, skateboard, scoot or bike.

Unfortunately, pooches are not allowed to participate in the Walk. Service dogs are welcome.

We won’t let bad weather rain on our parade—the event will happen rain or shine! Monitor the forecast in the days leading up to the event and plan to bring a rain jacket or boots if necessary.

Yes. You can drop them off at the T-shirt Tent.

• Every individual looking to participate in the Walk must be registered by 3 pm on Friday, June 6. There is no on-site registration.
• We encourage you to stay hydrated before, during and after the Walk by bringing your own water bottle. (We’ll have plenty of water, too!) 
• Dress according to the day’s weather and don’t forget your sunscreen and hat to cover up.
• Please leave large bags, backpacks and valuables at home unless they are completely necessary. There will not be a storage/locker area for these belongings.
• There will be lots of people, so pick a place to meet your teammates in advance. One option: Meet at the Team Photo Area by the stage and get your complimentary team photo once everyone on your team has arrived.
• Bring your camera or smartphone so you can share more photos! Use our hashtag, #WalkforBCH.

The Boston Common Garage is a short walking distance from the event. City parking meters are free on Sundays. There are metered spots available along Cambridge Street, Charles Street and other surrounding streets. From there, head to the corner of Beacon and Charles streets and then toward David G. Mugar Way to the Hatch Shell lawn. View Map

Most volunteers are asked to arrive between 7 and 8 am, but arrival times depend on your assigned volunteer role. Look for an email from our team a week or so before the event. It will outline your role and important event details such as requested arrival time and directions.

Depending on your assignment, around 2 or 3 pm. However, we ask that volunteers be flexible if we need you a little bit longer. 

• Most Needed: Help us out wherever you’re needed the most! We will assign you appropriately and let you know your assignment in an email before Walk Day.
• Cheer Team: Keep our participants on track and cheer them on along the route.
• Food and Beverage: Help set up our food and beverage tent at the finish line and distribute food and beverages throughout the event.
• Water Stops: You will be stationed at one of our water stops along the route and help distribute snacks and water to our awesome participants while cheering them on!

Yes, age 16 or older.

We do not require volunteers to fundraise for the event, but we do encourage it! Once you register, you'll receive access to your own Fundraising Center with tips and tools to make fundraising easy. Some employers will make a donation on your behalf if you volunteer. 

Search here to see if your company has a volunteer reward program.