Elissa's Walk for Wishes

Hello! I’m Elissa Jones, a 38-year-old hardworking mum of two young kids. We live in Ti Point and our busy household includes my partner, Wes, along with our lovely daughter Tyan who is almost four, and our busy son, Kade who is nearly two.

I have worked at Bayleys in the North for eleven years and my current position is Group Administration. With 12 offices across the north, it’s a crazy, dynamic, action packed role! I work with a great bunch of people where ‘giving back’ is a genuine part of our culture. I’m proud to be part of such a caring and proactive organisation.

My own kids have inspired me to undertake the ‘Walk for Wishes’ step challenge for the month of November. Thankfully, our two are healthy, happy, thriving youngsters. I can’t imagine the heartache of parenting a child who faces a life threatening medical condition. The day-to-day impact is huge on these families - organising hospital stays, doctor’s appointments and unpredictable emergencies.

If I can help in a small way, I’m ALL for it! Those who know me, understand that spare time for exercise is not easy, or my first idea of fun. When I get home from work my focus turns to the children and running our household. But when I think of the gruelling schedules, sleepless nights of worry, and the physical energy it takes to look after an unwell family member, I realise this challenge is easy. Yes, I can squeeze in extra steps and shout from the rooftops for your support, it’s the least I can do. And together, it’s something practical we can all do.

So, I’ve been realistic in my step goal. Over the month of November, I’d like to reach 300,000 steps and my target is to raise $1,000. Of course, I’d love to raise a whole lot more. But this is my benchmark to start with and we’ll see how it goes.

To put that in perspective, that’s like 100 people donating $10 each, a bit like going without a couple of coffees for a week. I know this is achievable, so I’m putting a heartfelt plea out to all of my family, friends and general public to get behind me and donate!

Now that I’ve made this commitment, I feel really accountable for its success. Publicly calling you out for support means that I promise to honour my part in the deal – I will get out there and WALK, every single day! Imagine how good it will feel to know we’ve granted a wish to even just one unwell child. To know that we’ve played a part in their perfect day would feel so great. A day where they ditch the health label and get to be a carefree kid doing what they love most.

Please donate today. It doesn’t matter how much, I just appreciate your contribution to something so incredibly important.