Wish Insiders on the Road
In honor of our 40th Birthday, we went big and brought our annual Wish Insiders event to four different locations across the greater Bay Area—allowing us to celebrate our community members in the North Bay, East Bay, South Bay, and Monterey Bay. A special thank you to our incredible venue hosts—Abbott's Passage Winery, the Claremont Club & Spa, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel—for making each event a memorable and welcoming experience.
A big thank you to our wish alum and family speakers and everyone who joined us to celebrate 40 years of granting wishes. We were grateful for the opportunity to recognize the incredible volunteers, partners, and community members who make wishes possible. Here's to the next 40 years of bringing hope and joy to wish kids in Northern California, together!
Volunteer Award Winners
Wish It Forward Full Circle Award: Susi Egger, whose daughter Claire had her wish granted to go to Disneyland in 2017, and who now serves as a wish granter and non-verbal specialist.
Unlock Hope Innovation Award: Theresa Halloran, Cheri Handley, and Olga Mukha for Anjelo's Hawaii sendoff and luau.
Wish Impact Award: Blueline Construction for their work on Luna's "Peppa Pig" backyard makeover wish.
Left to right: Volunteers Olga Mukha, Theresa Halloran, and Cheri Handley were awarded the South Bay Unlock Hope Innovation Award at Wish Insiders South Bay.
Volunteers Gordon and Rose Ann Hummel at Maggiano's Little Italy Wish Insiders South Bay.
VP of Mission Delivery, Susie Falk, presenting the Wish Impact Award at the Wish Insiders South Bay event to Talmage Scoffield of Blueline Associates for Luna’s wish to have a play structure.
Susi Egger accepting the Wish It Forward Circle Award at Wish Insiders South Bay.
Wish mom Juliet Vadvilavich speaking about her son Bryan's wish at Wish Insiders South Bay.
Volunteer Award Winners
Wish It Forward Full Circle Award: Debi Hanselman and Dana Smith, a team of sisters who volunteer together as wish granters. Debi's son had his wish granted over 20 years ago.
Unlock Hope Innovation Award: Maria Tribble and Denise Pepp for Nolan's wish to have a rock band experience.
Wish Impact Award: Jan Whittingham for her work on numerous bedroom makeover wishes.
From left to right: Helen Orzel, Stuart Speering, Todd Tribble, Maria Tribble, and Denise Pepp at the Wish Insiders North Bay Event. Maria and Denise were the wish granting volunteers who won the Unlock Hope Innovation Award for Nolan’s wish, while Helen, Stuart, and Todd played in his rock band!
Volunteers Debi Hanselman and Dana Smith accepting the Wish It Forward Full Circle Award at Wish Insiders North Bay.
Wish mom Stacy Keegan shares how her son Waylon's wish made a lasting impact on their whole family at Wish Insiders North Bay.
Founding volunteer Bob Montgomery, wearing his Make-A-Wish tie designed by a wish kid in the early 1990s, at Abbott's Passage Winery during our Wish Insiders North Bay event.
Delicious appetizers served at Abbott's Passage Winery during the Wish Insiders North Bay event.
Thank you, Abbott's Passage Winery, for hosting our Wish Insiders North Bay event.
Volunteer Award Winners
Wish It Forward Full Circle Award: Blanca and Rosa Cortes, another team of sisters, whose brother Elias had his wish granted when they were kids. Blanca and Rosa began volunteering as adults and have been granting wishes in Solano County for over ten years.
Unlock Hope Innovation Award: Lachmin Singh and Amanda Geraldo for Madeleine’s pool party wish reveal.
Wish Impact Award: Legacies of the Pacific for providing Hawaiian dancers to enhance countless wish reveals and celebrations for Hawaii and Aulani wishes.
Storyteller's Award: Deborah Kirk, a member of our marketing committee, who generously donated her time and writing talents to help tell the story of our 40-year legacy of wish granting.
Legacies of the Pacific accepting the Wish Impact Award at Wish Insiders East Bay. Thank you for providing Hawaiian dancers to enhance countless wish reveals and celebrations for Hawaii and Aulani wishes!
Volunteer & Governance Associate Kaitlin Doolittle (left) and Amanda Geraldo, (right) accepting the Unlock Hope Innovation Award at Wish Insiders East Bay.
Senior Volunteer Manager Daniel Marlay presents Rosa Cortes (left) and Blanca Cortes (right) with the Wish It Forward Full Circle Award at Wish Insiders East Bay.
From left to right: our medical referral sources from UCSF Benioff Oakland, Oncology Social Worker Felicie Standley, Oncology Social Worker Carolina Bastos, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Intake & Medical Engagement Manager Ashley Johanson, Oncology & BMT Social Worke Patty Mundera, and Social Worker Clarissa Rivas, at Wish Insiders East Bay.
Senior Volunteer Manager Daniel Marlay with milestone volunteer Amy Crandall at Wish Insiders East Bay.
From left to right: Bilingual Mission Delivery Associate Megan Weisselberg, Mission Delivery Associate Christine Freitag, Social Worker Clarissa Rivas, Oncology Social Worker Felicie Standley, Oncology Social Worker Carolina Bastos, Intake & Medical Engagement Manager Ashley Johanson, VP of Mission Delivery Susie Falk, and Oncology & BMT Social Worke Patty Mundera at Wish Insiders East Bay.
VP of Marketing & Communications Linda Anderberg, Marketing Associate Akira Mariano, Volunteer & Governance Associate Kaitlin Doolittle, and Program Associate Christine Freitag at Wish Insiders East Bay.
Volunteer Award Winners
Wish It Forward Full Circle Award: Lisa and Larry Olivo, owners of Kissed By An Angel Winery in the Santa Cruz area, have been donating a portion of their wine sales back to Make-A-Wish in memory of their daughter, who had a wish granted.
Unlock Hope Innovation Award: Lachmin Singh and Amanda Geraldo for Madeleine’s pool party wish reveal.
Wish Impact Award: Monica Carrillo and Kelsy Karrigan for crafting a creative scroll as a wish enhancement for Zuriah’s wish to have a big cat experience.
Wish mom Analeise and wish alum Cali at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa for the Wish Insiders Monterey.
Senior Volunteer Manager Daniel Marlay presents Monica Carrillo (left) and Kelsy Karrigan (right) with the Unlock Hope Innovation Award at the Wish Insiders Monterey for their incredible enhancement on Zuriah’s wish to have a big cat experience.
From left to right: McKenzie Dyer, Heather Dumas-Dyer, Larry and Lisa Olivo and Garrison Dyer accepting the Monterey Bay Wish It Forward Full Circle Award for Kissed by an Angel Wines.
Milestone volunteer John Villanueva at Wish Insiders Monterey Bay as he celebrates an incredible 20 years of volunteering at Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area.
Christian Saban from Cypress Coast Subaru and Steve Hunter from Coastal Colors accepting the Monterey Bay Wish Impact Award for Ignacio's wish to have a car restoration.
Events Manager Rachel Faught greets guests at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel for our Wish Insiders Monterey Bay event.