Make-A-Wish has been part of Nick Arioli and Elisabeth Carr’s relationship since their very first date. As they learned more about each other over dinner, they discovered that they each had a sibling who received a wish.

Elisabeth told Nick about her sister, Caroline, who had Hodgkin’s lymphoma and whose wish to go to New York for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was granted by Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area in 2004. “We had this really special New York vacation as a family,” says Elisabeth. “The whole experience of going through treatment affected everyone as a family. So it was cool that we were all considered in the wish.” 

And Nick shared about his brother who wished to have “all the video games” and received a Nintendo, Sega, and gaming computer—all of which helped him and his family through a five-year battle with leukemia. “That wish was there with us and brought happiness to our life for a five-year illness,” says Nick. “It was just a purely positive thing. So, when I met Elisabeth and found out that she had a really similar experience, we bonded over it right away.” 

As the couple’s relationship grew—they’re now married with a young child—so did their commitment to supporting Make-A-Wish. At first, they gave back smaller amounts where they could. “The first time I had a job and had any extra money, I would send a dollar there, UNICEF-box-style,” recalls Nick. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, their dedication to philanthropy grew. “At the beginning of the pandemic, it was just so clear that so many people were in need,” Nick says. “It felt like the world was both falling apart and coming together in a weird way.”  

Make-A-Wish came to mind for both of them as important to support. “We knew that some organizations like Make-A-Wish that really rely on donations wouldn’t be receiving them through events, galas, and auctions as they normally would,” says Elisabeth. “It will always be something really important to kids and families, but especially during the pandemic.”

So as a family, they significantly increased their annual giving to the Adopt-A-Wish level—over $10,000 or close to the average cost of a wish. They adopted the wish of 8-year-old Colette, who has leukemia and wished to go to Lake Tahoe and play in the snow. Her wish came true in 2022.

“I didn’t realize that donors could adopt a wish, and that has been really great for us to feel more connected to Colette and rooting for her and her wish,” says Elisabeth.

“As we’ve gotten older and had more life experience, it’s become clear how rare balance is in the universe,” says Nick. “I see how rare the opportunity comes to make something go right. It’s certainly satisfying to say, ‘You got hit by a bolt of blue here and it’s not fair, but at least something’s going to be placed on the other side of the scale by this organization.’ It’s not common and it’s great that you guys do it.”

It’s donors like Nick and Elisabeth who enable Make-A-Wish to come in and help tip the scales for our wish kids.