The Make-A-Wish Foundation is dedicated to granting life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Global Link Distribution and its employees in Elkhart are proud to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation in northern Indiana. If you’re interested in helping grant a child’s wish, contact the local chapter toll free at 877-872-2756.
By: Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana + Global Link
World Wish Day is April 29 — an annual Make-A-Wish event that commemorates more than 40 years of granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Make-A-Wish was inspired by Christopher James Greicius, an energetic 7-year-old boy battling leukemia back in 1980. Christopher’s wish was to be a police officer. His community in the city of Phoenix banded together to grant his wish.
Through the past 40 years, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana has granted thousands of wishes for Indiana children with critical illnesses. World Wish Day is an opportunity to remember the first wish granted and to inspire others to get involved.
WISHES IGNITE A SPARK OF HOPE
Wishes are more than just a nice thing. And they are far more than gifts or singular events in time. Wishes impact everyone involved — wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals, and communities. Make-A-Wish participants found increased hope, strength, joy, confidence, self-esteem, quality of life, and well-being.
For many families, the wish experience serves as a coping mechanism and a turning point during treatment. It brings them closer together while strengthening relationships with loved ones.
A wish experience can make an enormous difference in the life of a child living with a critical illness. Having granted more than 520,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses worldwide since 1980, Make-A-Wish staff, volunteers, and supporters have heard wish families state time and time again that their wish changed their lives.
Many Make-A-Wish alumni, parents, and medical providers overwhelmingly agree that the wish experience contributes substantially to physical, mental, and emotional health. Here are some of the ways they say a wish can help.
Relieves Traumatic Stress: 90% of wish parents said their child’s wish relieved traumatic stress in their family.
Improves Emotional Well-being: 90% of medical providers say a wish improves a child’s (and their own) emotional well-being.
Creates A Turning Point In Treatment: 90% of wish alum said their wish made them feel more joyful, confident, and hopeful for the future.
Provides Strength To Fight An Illness: 80% of parents said a wish served as a coping mechanism for their child.
Promotes Better Health Outcomes: 90% of medical providers say a wish can improve a child’s physical well-being and overall quality of life.
VOLUNTEERS TRANSFORM LIVES
Over the years, tens of thousands of volunteers, donors, and supporters have come together to support the Make-A-Wish vision to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a critical illness. By the most recent count, a wish is granted every 34 minutes.
Take a look at several volunteer opportunities with Make-A-Wish.
Wish Granter: Wish granters meet with wish kids and their families and help children determine a wish. They also work alongside Make-A-Wish staff and wish families during the wish process.
Office Volunteers: Office volunteers help with various office tasks, including phone calls, wish research, data entry, filing, and mailings.
Event Volunteers: If you love planning special events, here’s your chance to organize and implement fundraising events in your community.
WAYS TO SUPPORT MAKE-A-WISH
There are countless ways to support Make-A-Wish on World Wish Day and beyond. Here are a few opportunities to consider.
Charity Streaming: With Stream for Wishes, gamers can do what they love and fundraise for wishes at the same time!
Donate Airline Miles: Make-A-Wish needs more than 2.8 billion miles (or 50,000 round-trip tickets) to cover every wish travel annually. Your donated miles help make travel wishes come true.
Hotel Points: Thousands of wish kids choose to travel to a special place each year. Your donated loyalty points help them provide accommodations.
Adopt-A-Wish: The Adopt-A-Wish program provides a unique opportunity for you, your organization, group, or company to make an immediate and substantial impact on a child’s life. After making your gift, Make-A-Wish will dedicate a specific wish to you or your group. You will receive a child’s wish story and a photo to demonstrate how your generosity made a positive impact.
Donate: When you donate, you give children renewed strength to fight their illnesses, bringing families closer together and uniting entire communities.
On World Wish Day, you can help make more wishes come true for children in northern and northwestern Indiana. Help restore hope with a wish today! To learn more, visit the website for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.
