HARRISBURG – Today, a resolution sponsored by Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (27-R) was introduced designating April 29th, 2024, as “World Wish Day in Pennsylvania.” World Wish Day is celebrated annually on April 29th and sponsored by the Make-A-Wish®.
The celebration is inspired by a story from 1980 of a young boy in Arizona battling leukemia who had one big wish, to become a police officer. Several members of the young boy’s community came together to make his dream happen. This honorable and touching event caught the attention of individuals who ultimately decided to form the organization now known as Make-A-Wish.
“On this day 44 years ago, a community united to fulfill Chris’s wish of becoming a police officer,” said Jennifer Davis, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. “As we commemorate the 44th anniversary of Make-A-Wish on World Wish Day, let us all reflect on our capacity to grant wishes and bring hope to children battling critical illnesses. Together, we have the power to make dreams a reality and ignite joy in the hearts of children diagnosed with a critical condition.”
Today, Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses. They believe that wishes have the power to transform the lives of wish kids by creating an opportunity for hope and the ability to experience life beyond illness. Studies have found that 94% of wish alumni said that their wish made them feel more joyful, confident, and hopeful for their future.
“We know that wishes are an essential part of a wish child’s medical treatment,” said President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania & West Virginia, Judith Stone. “This World Wish Day, we encourage the community to join our mission by becoming a volunteer, making a donation or referring a child for a life-changing wish.”
In Pennsylvania, the local Make-A-Wish chapters were able to grant 710 wishes during the last fiscal year. Currently, there are over 800 children waiting for their wish to be granted.
More information about Culver is available online at SenatorCulver.com. More information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation of American is available online at Wish.org and information for the local chapters at https://wish.org/greaterpawv and www.wish.org/philadesv.
CONTACT: Betsy Reichenbach 717-787-8928