The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® was a national beneficiary for Macy’s Thanks for Sharing program, which raised a record $14.7 million for charities during the 2008 holiday season. The Foundation was also the beneficiary for Macy’s Believe, a new campaign in 2008 that generated a $1 million donation from Macy’s through children’s letters to Santa. Macy’s customers have the opportunity to participate in these programs again in 2009.

“We are truly grateful to Macy’s for this wonderful contribution. This will help us grant the wishes of so many deserving children with life-threatening medical conditions,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer.

A Star in the Making at Macy’s

For 15-year-old Kalie, being diagnosed with sickle cell anemia means she’ll always have to be monitored and treated to manage its symptoms. She doesn’t know when the next bout of pain, infections and anemia are coming.

Though that’s a hard burden for a teenager to face, Kalie now draws on the memory of her Make-A-Wish^® experience to stay positive and upbeat.

Wish granters visited her to learn her one true wish – to be a supermodel.

Supermodel wishes are popular for many Make-A-Wish teens. Wish–granting volunteers from the Foundation drew from their experience to create an amazing day for Kalie, which started with a limousine ride to her modeling lesson, followed by a trip to the studio for a photo shoot.

The enthusiastic staff at a Macy’s store in Las Vegas readied her for the runway, helping her select several outfits for a fashion show to follow later in the day. A team of Macy’s experts also gave her a makeover. She even had bodyguards to keep pesky paparazzi at bay during her makeup session.

“It was awesome to be pampered and fussed over by everyone,” Kalie said.

It was time for Kalie to take to the runway. The entire day had built up to her modeling debut, and she was thrilled by the flash of cameras and applause from her friends, family and fans.

According to Kalie, everything exceeded her expectations. From the time she made her wish, she felt her spirits lift as she had something other than sickle cell anemia to think about.

“Focusing on the future was exactly the medicine I needed,” she said.

Since 2003, Macy’s has donated over $24 million to the Foundation to help make wishes come true.