In honor of the second annual “Fork Childhood Cancer” walk, hundreds of families came out April 30 to support a local nonprofit’s efforts to combat pediatric cancer and other rare diseases at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, California.
The event was led by MaxLove Project, an Orange-based nonprofit that promotes holistic treatments to help children suffering from cancer and other rare diseases. Proceeds from the event went to the nonprofit.
A farm sign at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, Calif., on April 30, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)
Participants walked just over a mile around the scenic Tanaka Farm grounds, with permission to pick various fruits and vegetables along the way.
Families or groups who raised $250 or more were invited to plant a sunflower seedling in honor or memory of a child who has suffered or died from cancer or other rare diseases.
“It means so much to us to be able to team up with Tanaka Farms again this year,” MaxLove Project co-founder Audra DiPadova Wilford told The Epoch Times. “One of the most important things for us is to be able to offer opportunities for our families to come together for our cause.”
MaxLove Project co-founder Audra DiPadova during her foundation’s fundraiser at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, Calif., on April 30, 2023.
Wilford started the nonprofit for her son Max 12 years ago, who was then four years old and suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. After multiple failed attempts at traditional treatment including radiation and chemotherapy, Wilford pursued a holistic treatment plan for her son including a Ketogenic diet—meaning low carbs and high fat—and exercise, alongside his traditional hospital care.
Though Max was given a short time left to live by doctors, the additional care alongside his hospital’s treatment helped extend his life while allowing him to recover from his more invasive treatments. Now 16, Wilford says her son is “alive, active, and well.”
MaxLove Project, which has offices in Orange as well as Savannah, Georgia, also holds a Farm to Fork dinner at Tanaka Farms each September to raise funds for the charity.
