World Wish Day^®

Fact Sheet

April 29, 2012 – the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation

World Wish Day is a global celebration of wish granting
Wish-granting celebrations and events will take place in the 48 countries we serve
World Wish Day celebrates the day that sparked a global wish-granting movement

Seven-year-old Chris Greicius' wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix, Arizona by volunteers on April 29, 1980
Chris had leukemia
Law enforcement officers heard about Chris' wish to be a police officer wanted to help
A police helicopter flew him to the Arizona Department of Public Safety headquarters for a tour, a ride in a patrol car and a ceremony making him the first (and only) honorary state patrolman in Arizona history
They also presented him a custom-tailored uniform, motorcycle helmet, campaign hat and the motorcycle wings he earned on his own battery-powered bike
Many of those responsible for fulfilling Chris' wish wanted to do the same for other children with life- threatening medical conditions and founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation later in 1980

You can Join the World^SM on World Wish Day and:

Make a donation
Refer your child
Spread the word
- Use Facebook and Twitter to share World Wish Day videos, photos and news from the Make-A-Wish International Facebook page
- Donate your Facebook status or a tweet on Twitter in honor of World Wish Day
- You can also download and share the World Wish Day profile picture with your network

Mission: to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy
Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer
The Foundation is now one of the world's leading children's charities With the help of generous donors and more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 290,000 wishes globally since 1980.
Every 23 minutes, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wish of a child with a life-threatening medical condition somewhere in the world