Make-A-Wish® Arizona Wish Ball raises record-breaking $4.6 million to grant future Arizona wishes
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (March 31, 2023) – Make-A-Wish® Arizona is pleased to announce that the 2023 Make-A-Wish Arizona Wish Ball, presented by Phusion Projects, raised a record-breaking $4.6 million in a single night. The funds will help grant more than 460 future wishes to Arizona children with critical illnesses.
Co-chairs Melissa Bouma and Jenny Wright themed the sold-out event Dare to Wish Bold and created a spectacular opportunity to showcase wishes that made an impact on wish kids, wish families and the communities that support them.
“We were excited to chair this event after being long-time guests and sponsors,” said Wright. “We have met many wish families in the past and heard their stories of wishing for bold ideas that Make-A-Wish Arizona was able to make come true.”
Bouma agreed. “We wanted to show attendees that the true power of a wish comes from wish kids who dare to wish for the impossible – and how those impossible wishes make an impact that lasts a lifetime. We are so excited that so many were bold in their giving to help us reach this record-breaking milestone.”
More than 900 guests attended the event, which included a successful live auction and Fund-A-Wish request. The Wish Ball included six live auction items which raised more than $380,000 and a Fund-A-Wish auction, which collected more than $860,000. The evening ended with a special $2 million pledge from long-time donors Bob and Renee Parsons, of which $1 million was specifically designated to provide more wishes to Hispanic families.
“The impact of a wish on a child’s life cannot be understated,” said Renee Parsons, Co-Founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Wishes provide hope—giving children something to look forward to and families a moment to pause and reconnect. Bob and I are proud to support Make-A-Wish Arizona.”
“With this overwhelmingly generous gift from the Parsons, we can move forward with our plans to expand our reach and introduce Make-A-Wish to children with critical illnesses who reside in underserved communities in Arizona,” said Fran Mallace, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Arizona. “The kindness of the Parsons, our attendees and the hundreds of online donors shows that our community believes in the mission of Make-A-Wish Arizona as together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.”