This May, there are eight exciting events that you and the whole family can take part in. If you live in Georgia, Virginia, South Dakota, Illinois, Connecticut, Oregon, or Michigan, you can participate in a Walk for Wishes event to benefit your local Make-A-Wish chapter. The best part of it all is that you will be helping to grant wishes for local children in your community who are battling critical illnesses.
Every 38 minutes a child has their wish granted thanks to Make-A-Wish. Throughout the United States, children with critical illnesses are having their lives changed every day thanks to the great work of our partner, Make-A-Wish. Whether you live in Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso, or any other city in North Texas, you can help make wishes come true in your community by taking part in an evening of wishes, Saturday, May 16. Make-A-Wish North Texas serves 161 counties and has helped to grant the wishes of thousands of Wish Kids. Learn how it feels to be a part of the magic by taking part in this great Make-A-Wish event May 16.
An Evening Of Wishes Can Mean A Life Of Hope For A Wish Kid
Get your best black-tie outfit ready and clear your schedule the 2015 Wish Night Gala in Dallas at the Hilton Anatole Hotel (2201 N. Stemmons Freeway). This is the 19th year the Wish Night Gala has taken place to celebrate the lives of Wish Kids everywhere and to help fundraise so more children with critical illnesses can have their wishes granted. This is the largest fundraising event of the year, and you can be a part of the splendor.
In the first 18 years of the event, the event has raised nearly $12.5 million – which is enough money to grant nearly 1,700 wishes. Last year's event raised $1.48 million, and organizers hope to have another record year of fundraising. Celebrate the wishes that have come true in the past and meet the heroes that make it happen during one exciting night of Wish magic. The average cost of a wish is $8,000, so your attendance at an event like this can help to make even more wishes possible.
For more information, please contact Tabatha Gonzalez-Olaechea at 214-496-5006, or by e-mail at tolaechea@ntx.wish.org.
Help Make-A-Wish Make Their Goal
Make-A-Wish North Texas has granted more than 7,000 wishes since it started in 1982, and it can continue to do this when you support events like the Wish Night Gala. But if you can't make this event, there's another way you can help, and it starts in your garage when you donate a car. When you donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish North Texas, you are turning your vehicle into wishes for children with critical illnesses in cities like Lubbock, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, Waco, Amarillo, Arlington and throughout North Texas.
We offer free pick-up and towing of all vehicles, running or not, anywhere in Texas. We help turn your vehicle into a wish for a local child, and not only do you get a tax deduction, you get the knowledge that you helped a child turn their wish into reality. Call us at [chapter_phone] or fill out our easy vehicle donation form.
Don't hesitate to give us a call. Even if you aren't sure how to donate a car, representatives will walk you through the car donation process and answer any questions you might have. Give us a call today and help make a wish come true for a child in your neighborhood!
To thank all of their fantastic volunteers, supporters, and wish-granters, Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida will hold their Sixth Annual Wishmaker’s Ball at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa Bay (2900 Bayport Dr.) on May 2. The event will feature an exclusive Derby Race Viewing party, so your best Derby Glam Black Tie attire will be required. This glamourous gala will celebrate the support from the Tampa Bay community in helping to grant the wishes of children in Hillsborough, Hernanado, Pinellas, Polk, and Pasco counties.
The Hudson Valley Wish Ball is a magical evening that helps raise money to fund more wishes for kids in places like White Plains, Yonkers, and Middletown. Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley is currently working on making more than 170 wishes come true, and your attendance will help them reach all of those children. Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley has granted more than 2,300 wishes in its 29 years. Help them continue that amazing progress at the Wish Ball May 8!
Volunteering is not only important for the people you are helping, but it's also an important way to make a difference in your community. National Volunteer Week, which is April 12-18, is a way to encourage people to find new ways to engage in their community and to celebrate those who regularly volunteer.
Many local community organizations greatly benefit from having a strong volunteer base. The events are often easy to take part in, and also a great way to teach children about the importance of giving back to their community.
Finding places that are appropriate for any age – kids or adults – can be a challenge. Here are a few suggestions of where to turn to start your volunteer search.
- Volunteer in the faith community. Churches, synagogues or other local social service providers almost always have a need for volunteers to help plan or run programs or serve on boards or committees.
- Enjoy animals? Most cities have animal shelters that need volunteers to help with walking dogs or feeding animals, to name a few of the chores.
- Know a senior who needs help? Seniors may need help with things like minor work around the house, grocery shopping, or simply having someone to have a cup of coffee with to keep them company.
No matter your passion, whether it's helping organize canned goods at a local food shelf or helping build homes, you can find a way to help in your community. National Volunteer Week, a program of Points of Light, is a great time to start.
National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and has grown each year. This year will have thousands of volunteer projects and special events scheduled throughout the week. Points of Light helps connect volunteers to opportunities and service projects across the country, based on your interest level. They have more than 250,000 service projects annually in 30 different countries. The annual dollar value of volunteer hours tops $600 million.
National Volunteer Week is a time to inspire, recognize and encourage people to seek out ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals.
Helping Kids Is As Close As Your Garage
If one of your passions is helping children, you can do it with a donation of an unwanted vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish. When you donate your vehicle, you are helping children who are suffering from critical illnesses by giving them an opportunity to have a wish come true.
To donate an unwanted car, truck, boat, motorcycle, or camper to Wheels For Wishes, please call [chapter_phone] or fill out our simple vehicle donation form online. Wheels For Wishes will accept your vehicle whether it runs or not, and it will be auctioned off or recycled and reused to build new vehicles. Car donation is green and eco-friendly, so it’s beneficial in so many ways. Plus, you receive a great tax deduction for your charitable contribution.
A fancy night out – getting dressed up and having an elegant dinner – is always great when you can do it without the kids. But what if you can do it for the kids? That's what the Wish Ball is all about.
The Wish Ball is an evening of charitable giving to fund the mission of Make-A-Wish South Carolina. The event includes an incredible cocktail hour, elegant dinner, music and dancing, as well as silent and live auctions. The event takes place on Saturday night, May 9, at the wonderful South Carolina State Museum (301 Gervais St., Columbia).
Most important, the event raises funds to help us make every eligible child's wish come true.
Sponsorship, Tickets Now Available
Tickets and sponsorship are now available. Sponsorship levels available include:
- $25,000 – Presenting Sponsor
- $15,000 – Hope Sponsor
- $10,000 – Strength Sponsor
- $5,000 – Joy Sponsor
- $1,500 – Star Sponsor
For more sponsorship information or to buy tickets, contact Maggie Nash at mnash@sc.wish.org or by telephone at 864-250-0702 x109.
Can’t Make The Wish Ball? You Can Still Help Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish South Carolina has been helping to grant wishes since 1984. In the more than 30 years of the chapter, more than 2,000 wishes have been granted – more than 130 across the state each year. There are ways you can help Make-A-Wish South Carolina, without going to the 2015 Wish Ball. One way is to donate airline miles, which is instrumental in helping to send Wish Kids and their families on their wish trips.
Another way is to donate an unwanted vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish South Carolina. Donating a vehicle helps kids in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and throughout the Palmetto State. But it also saves you time and money that you would otherwise spend on getting rid of an unwanted vehicle. That unwanted vehicle will be transformed into a wish for a local child and gives you a great tax deduction at the same time. Wheels For Wishes is an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your donation is 100 percent tax deductible. Your car can make a wish come true!
To donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, please call us at [chapter_phone], or fill out our easy online vehicle donation form. You will feel great about what your old car can do for a local child!
The World Health Organization celebrates World Health Day on April 7 of every year. This year’s theme is food safety, helping people to ensure that the food they eat or the water they drink is safe. Two million deaths occur every year from contaminated food or drinking water, and children and infants are most at risk for suffering the tragic consequences of a foodborne disease. Also at risk are pregnant women, the elderly, and people who are battling a critical illness.
After many months of winter, digging out from historic snowfalls, and bundling up just to go get the mail, spring is a welcome sight. One of the great rites of spring is dusting off your golf clubs and taking in 18 holes on a beautiful afternoon. This April and May, you can do just that while helping Make-A-Wish at one of five different golf outings around the country. Each event is a fundraiser that helps a local Make-A-Wish chapter raise money to grant wishes for children with a critical illness.
Wish Upon A Par, April 27
Make-A-Wish North Texas presents the 5th annual Wish Upon A Par golf tournament at River Crest Country Club in Ft. Worth (1501 Western Ave.). Last year's event raised more than $145,000 – which was enough to fund more than 15 wishes. For more information about signing up for this year's event or becoming a sponsor, e-mail Lauren Grady at lgrady@ntx.wish.org.
This April, take the opportunity to learn about four kinds of cancer and help spread awareness to your friends and family. April is dedicated to head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer and testicular cancer. While these cancers rarely affect children, it is possible. Cancer awareness months are a great time to learn more about the symptoms of cancer, but also the preventable risk factors. While many risk factors are unavoidable, tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for head, neck and esophageal cancer and it's never too early to teach your kids about avoiding tobacco.
What’s better than a long walk on a beautiful San Diego morning? When you get to help kids with a dream in the process! Make-A-Wish San Diego’s Walk For Wishes takes place on Saturday, April 25, at Embarcadero Marina South. All of the proceeds from the walk will benefit Make-A-Wish San Diego, and the money raised will help pay for the wishes of children with critical illnesses.
Make A Difference In Your Community
Participating in the Walk For Wishes allows you to personally make a difference in the community in which you live. Participation in Walk For Wishes is free for all walkers, and you're encouraged to raise money by collecting donations from friends, family and co-workers to help Make-A-Wish San Diego. This year's goal is to raise $200,000, which will help grant about 20 wishes. If you raise at least $100, you get a commemorative event t-shirt, and raising at least $500 earns you a reusable Make-A-Wish shopping bag.
Make-A-Wish works to grant the wishes of children between the age of 2 ½ and 18 who are battling a critical illness, or who are suffering from a progressive, degenerative, or malignant condition that places the child’s life in jeopardy. Last year alone, more than 14,000 wishes were granted across the country! Make-A-Wish helps to bring hope, strength, and joy back into the lives of children, and this year during the 10th Annual World Down Syndrome Day, you may choose to play a part in helping to grant a wish for a local child through a car donation to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish.
Walking is a great way to get exercise and it’s the perfect way to spend a sunny Tampa day, especially if you’re walking for a good cause. Did you know that simply walking along Curtis Hixon Park could grant the wishes of Tampa-area children who are battling critical illnesses? When you participate in the Tampa Bay Walk for Wishes on April 11, you can help to make wishes come true for Central and Northern Florida kids!
The 2015 Southern Tier 5K Walk/Run For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish Central New York takes place April 25 in Binghamton. Enjoy a fun-filled morning in Recreation Park as you walk or run a 5k to help wishes come true in places like Syracuse, Oswego, Ithaca, and all over central New York. Make-A-Wish Central New York has granted more than 1,500 wishes since 1985, and you can help them grant even more when you lace up your shoes this April!
Looking for a fun family activity that supports a great cause this spring? Join in on the 8th Annual Walk For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles on April 18. Walkers, volunteers, Wish Families, teams and companies will gather to celebrate the 8,700 wishes already granted by Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles, all while raising funds to grant even more wishes in the future. This year's event hopes to raise enough money to grant 340 wishes, and you can help make that happen!
If you’re a skilled runner and you’d love to partake in a half marathon and 10k race to benefit Make-A-Wish Illinois, or if you’d like to party for a good cause, there are several great events this April that will allow you to make wishes come true for Illinois kids. The events take place on April 10 and April 11, so clear your schedule and register for these fun events today!
If you'd like to attend a gala or party for Make-A-Wish Iowa, you have four great options to choose from this April and May. Or if you'd rather get out and enjoy the spring weather to help grant wishes, lace up your running shoes for the Cedar Valley Walk For Wishes. No matter what you choose, you can have a blast this spring, all while supporting a wonderful cause.
March is not only Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but also Kidney Cancer Awareness Month and Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month. Learn more about these diseases, what the signs and symptoms might be, and how you can help to spread awareness during the month of March. Awareness can help to save lives! You may even wish to donate a car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish, to grant the wishes of children who may be battling these diseases.
What's better than taking a long walk in the beautiful spring air? When you can raise money for a worthy cause while doing it! Walk For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire takes place on two different weekends.
The Walk For Wishes Inland Empire is Saturday, April 11, at Fairmount Park in Riverside, and Walk For Wishes Orange County is Saturday, April 18, at Orange County Great Park in Irvine. All of the proceeds from the walks will benefit Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire. The money raised will help pay for the wishes of children with critical illnesses.
You will have a great opportunity to grant wishes for Georgia kids when you attend the Make-A-Wish Georgia Walk For Wishes event on March 21. Taking place at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, participants will enjoy fun activities for the whole family, including a nearly two-mile walk. Walk at your own pace and help to make Georgia wishes come true. Dogs (with leashes) are also welcome to attend!
Early April in Massachusetts is more than just Patriot's Day and the Boston Marathon. For Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, it offers an opportunity to go to two great events that will help raise the necessary money to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses.
