Walk for Wishes

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Donation Total as of today $101,265
What is the Make-A-Wish Foundation®?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human spirit with hope, strength and joy. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America was founded in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. It all began because of the simple dream of a boy named Chris. A small group of people helped this very ill little boy achieve his wish - to be a state trooper for a day. Since then, Make-A-Wish has grown into the largest and most professional wish granting organization in the world with 67 chapters in the U.S. To date, the Foundation has granted more than 173,000 wishes worldwide.

In 1983, the chapter now recognized as the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, was founded in Northeast Ohio, becoming the eleventh chapter formed by the organization. This chapter includes five regional offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville and Indianapolis, with two satellite offices in Lexington and Youngstown. The largest chapter in the country, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana has granted more than 7,300 wishes.

Who is eligible for a wish?
Any child over the age of 2 ½ and under the age of 18, diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, may qualify for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation regardless of the family's race, gender, creed, socio-economic or cultural background.

What do children wish for?
As each individual child is special and unique, so are their wishes. The majority of wishes fall into four categories:

I wish to go…I wish to be…I wish to meet…I wish to have…

With their imagination guiding the process, the Make-A-Wish Foundation strives to give every child the power to decide his or her own wish come true. Some examples of recently granted wishes include: magical journeys to Disney World…computers…going to the Super Bowl…swimming with dolphins…a playhouse!

If I donate money to this chapter, does it stay local?
Absolutely! All money donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana is used to fulfill the wishes of children from this area. Currently almost 80 percent of each dollar goes directly toward fulfilling wishes.

How many wishes are granted each year?
Our chapter fulfilled the magical wishes of more than 760 children suffering from a life-threatening medical condition last year. Since our chapter’s inception, more than 7,300 wishes have been granted, and we hope to grant 800 wishes this year!

For more information about the Make-A-Foundation or to get more involved in the Foundation, contact Executive Director Kelly Kleinschmidt at (216) 241-3670 or KellyK@makeawishohio.org