The Make-A-Wish Foundation®

Mission

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

The First Wish

The creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation was inspired in the U.S. in 1980 by the fulfillment of a wish of a 7-year-old boy with leukemia named Chris Greicius, who wished to be a policeman. On April 29th, his mother, several friends and a group of police officers, with the cooperation of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, granted his wish with a custom-made uniform, helmet, badge, and helicopter ride. Chris's magical wish touched the entire community and inspired the beginning of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

To read more, click here http://wish.org/about/the_first_wish

Global Reach

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has become the largest wish-granting organization in the world and can be found in over 36 countries on five continents. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America grants the wishes of children in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico through its 64 chapters, while Make-A-Wish Foundation International serves children outside the United States in over 36 countries on five continents. With the help of generous donors and over 30,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 250,000 wishes worldwide since inception.