The North Texas Chapter of Make A Wish has been granting critically ill children wishes since 1982. They have hit a milestone of over 12,000 wishes granted.
“We are incredibly excited and proud of the more than 12,000 wishes we have granted across North Texas! A wish experience can be a game-changer for a child with a critical illness. This one belief guides us in everything we do at Make A Wish. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve,” Sara Roelke Communications Manager at Make A Wish North Texas said.
Roelke said wishes that children ask for typically are in five categories: I wish to have, I wish to be, I wish to go, I wish to meet, and I wish to give. Last month, a teen suffering from cerebral palsy and other severe circumstances was granted a wish for a BraunAbility Turny seat so he gets in and out of the car a lot easier.
She said a lot of wishes revolved around Disney World, while others were a bit simpler such as a puppy, getting to meet their favorite celebrity, and even having the ability to see snow for the first time. Celebrities such as John Cena, the Dallas Cowboys, and Dude Perfect are supporters of Make A Wish.
The foundation has managed to grant wishes through the COVID-19 pandemic while prioritizing the safety measure designed to prevent COVID-19.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Make-A-Wish North Texas has safely granted over 280 wishes to children and families. We are currently granting and continue to grant a wide variety of wishes such as road trips to national parks, virtual celebrity meetings, outdoor playhouses, shopping sprees, staycations, wishes for pets, computers, room redecorations, and many more, to bring hope and joy to all of the children we serve,” said Roelke.
Make A Wish was affected by the pandemic as was the entire world. Funding started to drop due to many events being canceled because of lockdown mandates and restrictions of large gatherings.
“Across North Texas, we have faced a significant loss in revenue due to the cancellation of fundraising events, community fundraisers, and a decrease in individual philanthropic giving. Many of our corporate partnerships, unrelated to events, have also been affected because of COVID-19, which in turn has caused their support to decrease. We are excited to announce our upcoming Wranglers and Wishes event taking place November 18th at the River Ranch Stockyards! This will be our first in-person event in the DFW area since the beginning of the pandemic,” Roelke said.
She said the Make A Wish Foundation has ensured safety and constantly sought guidance through their National Medical Advisory Council, which houses doctors and other medical professionals. There were many changed that they had to make as a result of COVID-19.
“Make-A-Wish has implemented new wish granting policies, including making all interactions with wish families virtual, designed to continue granting wishes during these challenging times because the hope that comes with a wish is more important now than ever.”
It has been a tough year for all non-profit groups because a lot of the regular funding has diminished greatly. In order to function, non-profits like Make A Wish, need help in serving the community. Roelke said there are still 1500 children who have not had their wish granted.
“We need help from the community to make that happen! Every donation helps bring so much hope and joy to children and gives them the opportunity to feel like a kid again.”
If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so at ntx.wish.org/donate. To get more information on the Wranglers and Wishes upcoming event, go to http://bidpal.net/wranglerswishes.