Thousands 'hug' SickKids to support pediatric brain tumour research

Thousands walked to support pediatric brain tumour research on Saturday, in honour of Meagan Bebenek a Toronto girl who passed away in 2001 from a rare type of brain tumour.

More than $5 million has been raised to date through Meagan's Walk.The initiative was started by her mom, Denise Bebenek, after her daughter was diagnosed with brain stem glioma, a cancerous and inoperable brain tumour.

• SickKids shows off new equipment funded by Meagan's Walk

Bebenek says more than 3000 people attended this year's event, the 16thannual five kilometrewalk from Fort York to the Hospital for Sick Children, which ended with the crowd encircling the children's hospital in a giant hug.

"Meagan's hug is a message about the power of the human spirit," said Bebenek.

Many attendees are the family and friends of other young brain cancer patients.

Doug Costantini and his family walked in honour of his daughter Maddie, who died of adiffuse intrinsic pontine gliomaa highly aggressive and hard-to-treat childhood brain tumouralmost three years ago.

Maddie was an "inclusive and loving daughter with lots of friends," her dad recalled.

"There's thousands of people here, and it's so nice to see that," added her sister Kayla.

Mayor John Tory also made an appearance at the walk, and praised the long-time fundraising efforts ofBebenek.

"It has helped so many people," Tory said. "Millions of dollars raised for pediatric brain research."