Make-A-Wish® Give Joy, Restore Hope campaign succeeds during the holiday season thanks to support from corporate partners and communities nationwide

Funds from the campaign enable life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses

PHOENIX, Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish, the organization that grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, raised nearly $7 million during its giving season through the generous efforts from national corporate partners. Every holiday season, Make-A-Wish joins forces with corporations, their consumers and employees to ensure that wish kids nationwide continue to experience the hope and joy a wish can bring to families in a time of need. The funds will join together with the millions more donated during the holidays by everyday people in communities nationwide to make more wishes possible.

Proceeds raised through the campaign will make it possible for more wish kids like 6-year-old Keegan to experience the long-lasting impact of a wish. When he was four years old, Keegan received a devastating cancer diagnosis that turned life as he knew it upside down – and he was forced to stop playing hockey, a sport he loved. After entering remission, he was finally ready to pursue his goal of becoming a hockey player again. He knew his heartfelt wish was to have an ice-skating rink in his backyard.

"A wish can give children renewed strength to fight a critical illness, leading to improved health outcomes and a sense of normalcy," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "As an organization that doesn't receive annual government funding, we are thankful to the supporters that helped us grant dozens of wishes daily during the holiday season so families can experience life beyond illness."

Throughout the holiday months of November and December, several Make-A-Wish partners showcased their support for the nonprofit organization through local wish-granting, consumer promotions, employee engagement and corporate donations in several sectors across the country. The list of partners that activated during the timeframe and helped raise much-needed funds includes: Disney, Macy's, Subaru of America, Adyen, American Freight Furniture Mattress Appliance, Black Bear Diner, Discover, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Great Wolf Lodge, Helzberg Diamonds, IT'SUGAR, Lokai, MFRC Wish Box, Ralph Lauren, Snappy, Sugarwish, Verizon Up, Vivid Seats, WisePies Pizza, among others.

Since its founding in 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 360,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses in the U.S. and more than 550,000 wishes globally. As a nonprofit, there is still a great need for support. For every wish granted, three more are waiting.

To learn more and find out how you can get involved, visit wish.org/become-a-national-partner.

About Make-A-Wish^®

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 24,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 550,000 wishes in 50 countries worldwide; more than 360,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

SOURCE Make-A-Wish Foundation of America