Event Date: November 23, 2010

Make-A-Wish is one of the more well-known causes in the United States. (Founded in 1980), its purpose is to grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Make-A-Wish of Sacramento and Northeastern California was founded in 1983, and their “Wishing Place” building in Natomas was completed in September 2009. This is where we met on this day, and The Wishing Place is truly an amazing building.

The volunteers arrived, and it was great to have such a diverse turnout for this event. Today’s volunteers were Chad, Chris, Monica, Ryann, Steve, Kayla (Monica’s daughter) and Tara (Chris’ daughter). We were greeted by Wish Coordinator Maria Jackson and taken on a quick tour of the amazing Wishing Place facility. Take a virtual tour for yourself.

After seeing the facilities and hearing how they accommodate the children through every step of the process, it’s no wonder that Make-A-Wish is one of the most widely-recognized charitable organizations.

They make the kids feel comfortable from before even the first step of the process. They give them ample time and opportunities to decide what their one true wish will be. In the “Wishing Room” they can decide from the four most common wish criteria: Who they want to be, Who they want to meet, Where they want to go, or What they want to have.

Many celebrities are very happy and accommodating to the wish kids, as are local organizations and other heroes. It’s kind of hard not to be, considering the circumstances behind the wishes.

One notable wish happened recently and involved actress Carol Burnett. One young man wished to meet her because his dad used to watch her show, and while the young man was in the hospital, he would watch her show because it helped him get through the experience. His wish was also the first time anyone had requested Carol, and she was elated to help touch a young man’s life. A very cool story and another testament to the fact that kids will surprise you!

Once the kids decide their wish in the Wishing Room, they are taken to the “Wishing Tower” where the turn the key and their wish is set in motion! This room is an experience for the senses, with cool multi-color lighting and stereo surround sound to help the kids really feel good about the wish they had just made.

It truly is an opportunity for these kids to be able to have an opportunity to experience the wish of a lifetime, and on each step of the tour I, along with the volunteers, learned much more about Make-A-Wish than any of us had ever known.

We ended up in the “The Wishing Place’s Celebration Hall” where today we would be announcing a wish to 11-year old Jessica and her family.

We helped set up the pizzas, cake and ice cream, then awaited her arrival. They had been at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital before, and apparently there were some minor complications with the procedure she underwent so they were running a bit late.

Once we saw the caravan of vehicles arrive, the anticipation mounted. The volunteers and I gathered at the front entrance as a big family of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins meandered toward the door.

The door opened, Jessica walked in, and we erupted in applause and cheers. Based on her reaction, I think it was a little overwhelming at first. Like most kids around a group of strangers, she got a bit bashful.

We followed the family into the Celebration Hall, where Jessica’s family sat down around the big table and indulged in the pizza and ice cream we set up.

The volunteers and I took a tour of the office facilities upstairs while they ate. There, we were lucky enough to have a peek into their wish closet, where we saw all the toys the kids receive. Books, coloring pens, stuffed animals, and the very cool Make-A-Wish branded Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars!

We learned that Mattel makes them and provides them to Make-A-Wish free of charge to distribute to the wish children. While I had no reason to dislike Mattel before, I have an entire new level of respect for them after today.

We headed back downstairs, where Jessica and her family had finished up their food. The volunteers and I sat around the other table, and Maria put on a video. It was an interesting video that showed some of the great wishes Make-A-Wish grants, along with many of the kids for whom the wishes are granted.

I think most of us got the true heavy nature of the Make-A-Wish mission during this video, as when I looked at the volunteers I noticed a few were a lot like me: fighting back tears.

The video concluded and Maria approached Jessica, whose face lit up when she learned that she’d be going to Disney World in a week! Not only that, but she’d receive a limo to and from the airport courtesy of Neumann Enterprises, from their local hotel at the Holiday Inn Express.

Where once Jessica was shy and bashful, now she was smiling and happy. Beaming would probably be the best word to use. Maria explained to Jessica’s guardian all the details about their stay and the entire family was joyous about the adventure they would shortly embark upon.

After a few more minutes, the family wanted to get some pictures to commemorate the occasion. In a kind gesture, they asked if we would be a part of the picture too. It meant a lot that they would want us to be a part of something so significant in the lives of all their family members.

We took a few pictures, then Jessica and her family packed everything up to head back to the hospital for another procedure. The smiles and thanks we received let us know that they were grateful for our presence, and that they were excited to have Jessica’s wish granted.

It was great to be a part of the highlight of Jessica’s day. Probably her week, her month, her year. Even though it wasn’t the most “volunteer” intensive project of 20 Causes, 20 Days, our positivity, our energy, our being there made a difference. What an amazing feeling.

Kayla said “I will definitely remember the tour. The way the crew goes about helping the kids make their wishes is amazing. The video, the room where they write their ideas for the four different categories, the wish room, all of it was incredible.”

You can share in this feeling. Make-A-Wish is always looking for volunteers. They only have a full-time local staff of 12, so volunteers are a key element in helping them run efficiently. Standard volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, and all volunteers must complete an online orientation. See below for more information about volunteering and upcoming opportunities.

As we exited the facilities, I saw Tara talking with one of the staff about joining the youth volunteering programs they offer. While the minimum age for standard volunteers is 21, there are youth programs that allow younger people to volunteer with Make-A-Wish. It felt good to know that my project may have helped create a long-term volunteer with such a great organization.

I hope you are inspired to consider volunteering with Make-A-Wish. They need your help, and being a part of their mission will reward you immensely. Thank you Maria, and everyone at Make-A-Wish, for having us out there today.

Make-A-Wish Sacramento
www.makeawish-sacto.org
916.437.0206 or 888.828.9474
Volunteer information: http://www.makeawish-sacto.org/volunteering.html

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