Make-A-Wish^®

Mission

The mission of Make-A-Wish 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 Make-A-Wish 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 .

Read more about the first wish »

Global Reach

Make-A-Wish has become the largest wish-granting organization in the world and can be found in 48 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 62 chapters, while Make-A-Wish Foundation International serves children outside the United States in 47 countries on five continents through its 36 affiliate offices. With the help of generous donors and over 30,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 290,000 wishes worldwide since inception.