The New Jersey chapter of the Make A Wish Foundation held its Walk and Roll for Wishes event in Jersey City Sunday, which helps raise money to make dreams come true for sick children.

The event, in its 17th year, was held at Liberty State Parl. Around 500 people took part in the three-mile trek to raise money to help provide children facing illnesses or other challenging circumstances with a special wish they'll remember forever.

"These walks, they are so important to us and we are told they are so important to the families who are really the majority of the walkers," said Tom Weatherall, president and CEO of Make A Wish New Jersey.

The Make A Wish Foundation chapter in New Jersey granted just under 600 wishes in 2018, the highest in its 36-year history. Organizers say roughly 80% of the donations collected and raised go to program funds, which are the wishes for children.

One of those wishes was granted to Juliana Moore, who was born with cerebral palsy and died earlier this year at the age of 12. Her wish was to go to Disneyworld with her family.