- October 23, 2024
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In 2004, Bruce and Shannon Vinnick began hosting golf outings for Make-A-Wish of Illinois. They were living in Chicago at the time.
The Vinnicks along with the rest of the team from Realty Executives Oceanside of Palm Coast, now host Boo-Ling for Wishes, a bowling event scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Palm Coast Lanes.
The fundraiser will feature a costume contest, cosmic bowling and a silent auction to benefit Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida. The teams’ goal is to raise enough money to fulfill two wishes for critically ill children.
“Childhood illnesses affect many within our community then and now. As a family-focused company we wish to help those families in need,” said Bruce Vinnick, the owner/broker of Realty Executives Oceanside. “Make-A-Wish shines a light of hope for children fighting critical illnesses when they need it most.”
Last year's inaugural Boo-Ling for Wishes was sold out and raised $12,000 for Make-A-Wish, Bruce Vinnick said.
“Our talented team of Executives has come together to volunteer their time to once again to make this event a huge success,” he said.
A representative from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and at least one Make-A-Wish recipient — 18-year-old Haven Walker — and her family will attend the event.
Walker, who is now a senior at Seabreeze High School, was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome after going into cardiac arrest on March 7, 2022, her mother, Peggy Gorbey, said.
Long QT syndrome is a heart rhythm disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. Doctors discovered blood clots on Haven’s lungs and an irregular heartbeat the previous month. But, Gorbey said before they could make an appointment with a cardiologist, Haven went into cardiac arrest.
Gorbey said she performed CPR on her daughter after she had stopped breathing.
“She was blue,” Gorbey said. “I performed CPR for 10 minutes. I watched the life come back in my child’s face.”
Haven was placed on life support for five days, Gorbey said. She had a cardioverter defibrillator implanted. The device can send an energy shock that resets an abnormal heartbeat back to normal.
Gorbey said they were suprised to learn that Haven qualified for Make-A-Wish. Haven and her family went on a shopping spree at the Florida Mall in Orlando on Aug. 17, a month before her 18th birthday. Haven chose the shopping spree so her sister, Keisha, and 2-year-old niece, Leilani, could join her brother Trenton and her mom and dad on the trip. Also, Haven needed a new phone.
“Her phone broke. She was using one of my old phones,” Gorbey said. “We were in the process of trying to find a way to get her a new phone at the time. It was perfect timing.”
The family lives in a camper at a Bunnell campground. A limo picked them up and the six of them rode to Orlando in style.
Haven made sure to buy something for everyone on the trip. Haven got a new phone, new headphones, clothes, shoes, Lilo and Stitch and Angel book bags, Apple AirPods for Trenton and a gift of choice for each of the others.
“She had a blast,” Gorbey said. “I know it made her day. She couldn’t wait to wear her new outfits and show her friends her new shoes.”
Life’s been hard on the family the past few years, Gorbey said. Gorbey said her granddaughter has leukemia, which is now in maintenance. In 2021, Gorbey lost her mother, her mother-in-law and two aunts. The following year, she almost lost Haven.
But Haven’s Make-A-Wish shopping spree was a magnificent day the family will remember for a long time.
