Make-A-Wish has been inundated with inquiries about the ongoing email hoax that is circulating the country. The email is about a seven or ten year old (local) girl named Amy Bruce, or Amirtha who has cancer. People are asked to forward the email to as many people as possible and Make-A-Wish will donate 7 cents to pay her medical expenses. This is a hoax, and the email should be deleted immediately. Do not forward the email. Doing so may open your computer to spam and virus.

PRESS RELEASE

Chain Letters Asking to Help Young Children with Cancer Are Not Legitimate Requests

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009, (TORONTO, ON) – An unauthorized chain letter email encouraging people to forward to friends in order to help seriously ill children, continue to circulate in Canada. These emails are not legitimate and are not affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.

The email is about a seven or ten year old (local) girl named Amy Bruce who has cancer. People are asked to forward the email to as many people as possible, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation will donate 7 cents to help pay her medical expenses. Many of these letters and emails falsely state that the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Canada is supporting the request.

“Well-meaning people pass along these letters and emails because they believe they are helping a child with a life-threatening medical condition,” said Jennifer Ritter, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada. “Unfortunately, the request is not genuine. Make-A-Wish® does not participate in chain letters, email solicitation of any kind, telemarketing or door-to-door fundraising programs. The time and expense required to respond to the hundreds of enquiries generated by these emails distracts us from granting wishes to actual children in need.”

If you receive a chain letter or email:
•In a separate email to the sender, inform him or her that Make-A-Wish® Canada does not participate in chain letters or other similar wishes via the internet, telephone or door-to-door.
•Refer the sender and all recipients to the Make-A-Wish Canada web site at www.makeawish.ca
•Do not forward the email; instead, delete it immediately.

For more information about these and other chain letter and email hoaxes, please visit the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Canada web site, www.makeawish.ca .

Here are some ways people can legitimately help the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada and children with life-threatening medical conditions:
•Refer a child with a life-threatening medical condition for a wish experience
•Make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation
•Volunteer for your local Chapter.

About Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada is a dynamic wish granting organization that brings hope, strength and joy to children across Canada living with life-threatening medical conditions. Along with the national office, seven independent regional chapters grant magical wishes to children in need from coast-to-coast. 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 240,000 children since 1980. To learn more visit www.makeawish.ca