LOCAL NEWS

Walker Kessler, IHC team up for fundraiser

Jan 24, 2025, 12:11 PM | Updated: 12:58 pm

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz player Walker Kessler is inviting the community to give back to the hospital that once saved his life.

What started as a skiing trip at just 18 months old turned into a multi-day hospital stay for Walker Kessler at Primary Children’s.

Now, the Utah Jazz basketball player is giving back.

“We ended up spending six nights in the hospital,” said Andrea Kessler, Walker’s mom. 

There was a time before Jazz star Walker Kessler was making plays on an NBA court.

His mom vividly remembers spending time in the hospital with her young son who was battling Rotavirus.

“I can tell you this, that for six nights, I slept on a twin bed curled at the bottom and you and I watched The Grinch 450 times,” Andrea Kessler said.

It took time, but Walker got better. 

Now, Walker Kessler — all grown up —  is giving back. He’s creating a team to raise money for patients at Primary Children’s Hospital. His creative fundraising campaign is open to everyone through Jan. 31.

Come February, the top fundraising teams will know they have made a positive difference in the lives of children and will get to meet Kessler.

“You know, every dollar, every cent counts. No amount is too small. And no act of service is too small either. You know whether the money’s going to research or even in the hospital… You know, you can’t put a price on that… I know we joke around it’s full circle, but it really seems that way,” Walker Kessler said.

To join Kessler’s fundraising team for Primary Children’s, you are encouraged to visit give.primarychildrenshospital.org/walker.

From there, you can click “Join Team,” create your page, choose your photo and share it with others.

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Walker Kessler, IHC team up for fundraiser