Have you ever made a wish while blowing out the candles on your birthday cake? Or whispered one to yourself while watching a falling star?
At some point, everyone has experienced the unique magic that wishes create in our hearts, even if those wishes don’t always come true. But for the most special members of our community, Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida® will do whatever it takes to make those dreams a reality.
Since 1994, our chapter has granted more than 7,000 wishes to children living with a critical illness. For each of these families, granted wishes are more than an exciting trip or experience, they’re the spark that lights up the darkest times.
The Power Of a Wish
For many of us, childhood is a magical time spent making friends, learning about ourselves, and exploring the world around us. But for our wish kids, life is often reduced to hospitals, medications, and uncomfortable symptoms.
Granting a wish helps to add hope, joy, and even a sense of magic to a life touched by a serious illness.
Most of our wish kids go on to live happy lives and reach the typical milestones of going to college, getting married, and having children of their own. Others, sadly, will not. But their families continue to credit their experience with Make-A-Wish as one of the best of their lives.
The Magic Of a Wish
According to experts and psychologists, a key part of happiness is having something to look forward to.
As soon as they join the Make-A-Wish program, our wish kids have an incredible experience awaiting them—whether it’s an unforgettable trip, a meet-and-greet with their favorite celebrity, or saving the day as a superhero.
Looking forward to their wish gives many children the strength to fight another day and even makes them more compliant with treatment. Granted wishes can even act as a turning point in a child’s recovery, giving them and their families hope for the future.
In fact, nine out of 10 doctors have credited the wish experience with improving their patients’ quality of life.
How To Grant a Wish
If you’re interested in changing the lives of critically ill children in your local community, Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida has plenty of opportunities available.
In addition to making a monetary or in-kind donation, volunteering, attending one of our fundraising events, or even purchasing a specialty license plate, you can make a direct impact on a local child by taking part in our Adopt-A-Wish program.
At Make-A-Wish, we want to see that every eligible child has their wish granted, and your support is what makes that possible. When you adopt a wish, we will not only dedicate that wish to you (or your organization), we will also share the impact you made with a wish story and photo.
Our Most Common Wishes
Just like each of our wish kids, every wish we grant at Make-A-Wish is unique. Throughout the process, our volunteers spend a lot of time and effort making sure that each fulfilled wish reflects the child’s biggest hopes and dreams.
Our Adopt-A-Wish program offers multiple tiers of giving so our donors can choose the type of wish they’d like to support.
- $3,000 – Shopping Spree or Electronics
- $5,000 – Theme Park Trip or Room Redo
- $8,000 – Disney Cruise, Playset, Hot Tub, or Party
- $12,000 – Vacation
These levels reflect the average cost of wishes in each category and help us fulfill our goal of helping every eligible child.
You Can Change a Life
The list of eligible children is growing every day. But when you support Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida, you will join the efforts of thousands of volunteers and supporters who are working together to make wishes come true.
You can join the Adopt-A-Wish program either as an individual, or along with a group. Many of our supporters prefer to join forces with a favorite organization—such as a school, workplace, or club—to increase their giving power!
Contact your local Make-A-Wish chapter to learn more.
