Week of Wishes held in celebration of 25th Anniversary

For Immediate Release, Monday, October 20, 2008 – Make-A-Wish^® Canada makes wishes come true for children with life threatening illnesses. Typically, Make-A-Wish grants one wish a day across the country, but this month, to mark the twenty-fifth year of granting wishes in Canada, Make-A-Wish will grant twenty-five wishes in one week.

Caroline will get to live her dream of swimming with dolphins, Chantelle will experience a whirlwind tour of Paris, Emily will be given the bedroom of her dreams in a remarkable room make-over; Jessie will have the time of his life at an all-out shopping spree; Connor will get to meet his heroes, the Vancouver Canucks, and have a video of his Canuck-themed bedroom makeover shown pre-game on the jumbotron; Cheryl will be the centre of attention at a party in which she will receive a new computer; Ty will get his wish for a train-themed playground in his own backyard, and many others will be chauffeured to the airport by limousine before embarking on a magical, fun-filled week in Walt Disney World®. And that’s just a few of the many adventures that will be created to help enrich the lives of these children, through the joy and happiness of seeing their own special wish come true on a day that is all about them, and not their illness.

The kinds of wishes that Make-A-Wish has granted to children with life-threatening illnesses haven’t changed very much over the past twenty-five years. Whether the wish is to be a princess or a policeman for a day, own the latest computer equipment, meet a favourite celebrity or just enjoy some special time away from home and hospitals, with their family, a wish come true brings so much to a child’s life and provides memories last a lifetime.

According to Dave Stinton, President of Make-A-Wish Canada, “Twenty-five years of providing hope and happiness to children facing life-threatening illness, one magical wish at a time, is something we are very proud of and feel is deserving of celebration. What began as the desire to fulfill the wish of a young girl in British Columbia in 1983 has grown into an organization that has granted almost 3000 wishes to children across Canada.”

The Week of Wishes will occur nation-wide from October 18 to 25.

Make-A-Wish Canada, through its eight regional chapters, grants wishes to create hope and happiness for children with life-threatening illnesses. Make-A-Wish Canada is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish^® International, the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 200,000 children worldwide.

For more information and for details on the wishes occurring locally, contact
Krista Bussey, Make-A-Wish Canada, 1-888-822-9474 x 223, krista.bussey@makeawish.ca.

Pictured above: Wish child Felicity, (holding sign), along with her family, gets ready to head south for a Disney® cruise, as part of the Week of Wishes. Felicity’s wish was sponsored by Travel Underwriters, who joined the family for a send-off party at the airport.