Hello my name is Victoria Francois, but everyone calls me Tori. I’m 7 years old and am in the first grade where my Mom home schools me and my brother and sister.  My family keeps saying how sweet it is for me to think about kids with cancer, but how can you not think about them? I have thought about this for a long time. There was a little girl that was a friend of my brother and sister at our church with cancer, and when she was four, she died.  She was so sweet.  Her name was Paris. I listened to an “Odyssey” story about a girl named Karen that died from bone cancer. Last week, while I was at my Granny James house, I heard a program about a place that takes care of kids like the ones I knew about, they treat them for their cancer, they show them love, and they help their families, too. They don’t even have to pay money; anyone can go there. It’s called St. Jude’s Hospital, and I think it’s far away from here.  I was very sad to hear about all the kids with cancer.

I got to thinking that I want to help these kids, too. I just started riding my bike without training wheels and it made me think, “What if I rode my bike for these kids and collected money for them?” I told my parents about it that night and they said, “Yes baby that’s a great idea.” Well, the next day at my church I started collecting money from people. I told them about the sick kids and they wanted to help. My Mom was so surprised that I already had money, she got an envelope and put the money in it. I told her we have to call that hospital now and see how much they need. My Mom talked to them and they told her what to do to help. So now, we get to have a walk and collect money from a lot of people in our whole town. My Mom called the Mayor of Ball and he said it was good news to him, so on April 30th, from 9:00am to 11:00am in the morning, me and my friends are going to walk for the kids with cancer that can’t walk and give all the money to St Jude’s Hospital. I hope I can go visit that place one day. I think I will take gifts for the children when I go. It just makes your heart feel real good to help, I hope you’ll help too!

Editor’s Note: For more information on how you can participate in Tori’s walk to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital, contact Eugenia Francois at (318) 640-6778 or (318) 664-3222.