Willie's Warriors

03/24/2026

We are excited to announce that D's Treats and Ice Cream will be on site with their ice cream truck this year! 🍦🎉😋

03/17/2026

Help me reach my fundraising goal for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Your gifts help change the lives of patients and families.

03/15/2026

Its going to be here before we know it!

Willie's Warriors is a volunteer group founded by the parents of Wilhelmina "Willie" Hovlid, who passed at just 3 months old from an aggressive brain aneurysm. In Willie's memory, we dedicate ourselves to the advocacy of families with babies in the NICU. Primarily, we run a fundraiser to support the NICU at Lurie Children's, the not-for-profit hospital where Willie spent her life. In this way, we can play a small role in the fight for premium care of critically ill children, no matter the financial status of the family.

01/04/2026

Its that time of the year again.
We will be looking for volunteers and donations.

07/16/2024

Willie's birth was just the beginning of a crazy journey.

We are raising money all July in memory of this little warrior.

Please consider donating to Lurie Children's NICU, so they can continue to provide the same incredible, compassionate care our family received.

Follow the link below to our personalized fundraising page.

Please share!

Help me reach my fundraising goal for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Your gifts help change the lives of patients and families.

07/10/2024

Happy 5th Birthday, Willie.

Our youngest daughter would be 5yo today. She was taken by a brain aneurysm at 3 months old.

We can't send much more than love to her in Heaven, but we can make a difference in the lives of other critically ill babies.

Please consider donating to Lurie Children's NICU in memory of Willie the Warrior.

Help me reach my fundraising goal for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Your gifts help change the lives of patients and families.

07/01/2024

Hi, everyone!
Willie's 5th birthday is right around the corner.

Our family has had an especially hard year, so we will not be hosting our usual festivities.

HOWEVER! We still want to celebrate Willie's life by running a digital fundraiser.

So, for the month of July, let's share our fundraising page to anyone and everyone!

All donations are automatically allotted to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Lurie Children's. This is where all of the most critically ill babies are cared for.

Remember: EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!

Help me reach my fundraising goal for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Your gifts help change the lives of patients and families.

11/08/2023

Never Not Remember You
/

I know you're up in heaven
But damn it hurts like hell
'Cause I'd just be pretending
If I said anything else
And I know God don't make mistakes
But this sure feels like one
That won't change the facts
That won't bring you back

So I'll cry 'cause it's over
And smile because we had you
Packed a whole lot of living
Even though it ended all too soon
And in time, I'll start healing
But even when I get that feeling
No matter where I go or what I do
I'll never not remember you

Thank God for all the memories
And pictures on my phone
They don't fill the empty
But I feel less alone
And I know you're with the angels
Right where you belong
'Cause you were one to us
You left a legacy of love

So I'll cry 'cause it's over
And smile because we had you
Packed a whole lot of living
Even though it ended all too soon
And in time, I'll start healing
But even when I get that feeling
No matter where I go or what I do
I'll never not remember you

You lighting up a whole room like that
You made us think, made us feel, made us all laugh
You always giving that shirt off your back
I miss you bad, I miss you bad

So I'll cry 'cause it's over
Smile because we had you
Packed a whole lot of living
Even though it ended all too soon
And in time, I'll start healing
But even when I get that feeling
No matter where I go or what I do
I'll never not remember you

Oh, I promise you
I'll never not remember you

When it comes to losing someone you love, each person’s pain is uniquely different, but the stages of grief are universal. I tried to explore those feelings ...

08/09/2023

Fundraising season 2023 is officially over for Willie's Warriors!

Made our trip down to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago yesterday.

We finally got to visit the 12th floor to see the Gifts of Love wall where Willie was added back in 2020 after we raised our first $1,000 in her memory.

On our way out, we stopped to see the Community Champions window where Willie's Warriors were added this June for the $10,000 we raised last year.

We got to share some stories about Willie. We had some laughs and shed some tears.

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Willie this year. What a gift it's been to bless others in Willie's name.

07/21/2023

Check presentation day is August 2nd!
Folks can still donate, if they haven't gotten a chance!
Let's hit $2,000 on our virtual page before July ends!

https://events.luriechildrens.org/community-fundraising/jeanette-saribekian

Keep a look out for some photos for the official hand off!
Thanks for all your participation!

Help me reach my fundraising goal for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago! Your gifts help change the lives of patients and families.

07/11/2023

Happy Birthday, Willie!
If you missed it, you can still donate at:
https://events.luriechildrens.org/community-fundraising/jeanette-saribekian

We're over $4,000 and donations are still trickling in!

07/10/2023

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge our volunteer crew. These folks worked ALL day (almost 12 hours!) to ensure our fundraiser ran smoothly. Lizzie just had surgery this week and still showed up (you crazy, girl!). You all are such a blessing.

Take Up Your Cross Motorcycle Ministry we couldn't have done this without you! Love you, fam!