A World of Wishes Takes Off
On Thursday, March 12, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area held our signature gala event, Evening of Wishes, at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The 2026 theme, A World of Wishes, celebrated the allure of international travel and the extraordinary trips that lift families beyond the day‑to‑day of medical care and into the joy of discovering the world together.
The program featured 10-year-old Suriha, whose wish came true in December when she and her family traveled to London to meet her favorite YouTuber, This Esme, at the International Horse Show. The evening also celebrated wish kids Elena, Devan, and Corbin, building excitement for their own upcoming international travel wishes and sending them off in style!
Thanks to the incredible support of our generous sponsors, donors, and guests, the event raised over $1.1 million in support of granting wishes for children with critical illnesses throughout the greater Bay Area. To view more photos from the event, visit Drew Altizer Photography.
Gala guests enjoy the Sky Lounge Welcome Reception, sponsored by the Jonathan and Rae Corr Family Foundation. From left to right: Jon Gavenman, Kim Gavenman, Kaylee Lynn, Jenna Gavenman, Max Gavenman and Sara Abele.
Left to right: CEO Betsy Biern, board member David Lonergan, and Board Chair and wish alum Tiffany Loren Rowe at the Sky Lounge Welcome Reception in the Gold Ballroom at the Palace Hotel.
Guests write heartfelt postcards at our Airmail for Wish Kids station, sending joy and encouragement to wish kids on their upcoming wish trips.
Event volunteer Pablo Iturralde adds a stamp to Dr. Diana Bojorquez’s A World of Wishes passport at our Airmail for Wish Kids station.
Passport in hand, Liz Pham peruses the silent auction. Thanks to our Auction Committee, Wine Acquisition Committee, generous auction donors, and bidders, our silent auction raised more than $80,000 for wishes.
Doug Fraggi pours wine from Covert Estate. Thank you to the wineries who poured at our welcome party, including Covert Estate, Chappellet, and Lula Cellars.
Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area board and council members, from left to right: George Sammut, Pete Hilliard, Amy Hofmann, Isha Clark, Beryl Potter, Rashi Mehta, CEO Betsy Biern, Allegra Jones, Kristin Pace, Kara Basinger, Patty Robbins, Marti Pozzi, and Scott Mandell
Featured wish kids Suriha, Devan, Corbin, and Elana and their families pose in front of the Wish Airways wall at the Sky Lounge Welcome Reception.
Wish kid Corbin with mom Hazel, dad Nathan, and sister Zoellie. Corbin’s wish to go to London to tour The Making of Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Studio is coming true this April.
Wish kid Elena (back, center) with mom Elizabeth, dad Joshua, and sister Nadine. Elena’s wish to go to Australia to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef is coming true this summer.
Guests from Salesforce, one of our World Class Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
From left to right: Nathaniel Binns, board member Marti Pozzi, Kera Binns, Senior VP of Mission Delivery Susie Falk, and Jim Congdon. Thank you to Marti and Jim for sponsoring our Cloud Nine Afterparty!
From left to right: Lori Buechler, board member and World Class sponsor Isha Clark, Debbie Ellison, Carrie Maser, Paige Biorn, and Lisa Stanley
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Emcee and ABC7 News Anchor Ama Daetz welcomes nearly 500 guests to 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes on March 12 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area CEO Betsy Biern gives her address at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Milestone volunteers Joe Sanger (25 years), Tascha Whetzel (20 years), Donna Ng (20 years), Carolyn Pounds (25 years), Phillip Yim (25 years), Bob Jacobson (25 years), and Joy Shmueli (25 years) at our 2026 Evening of Wishes gala. Thank you to our milestone volunteers for helping make wishes come true!
Our fabulous auctioneer, Ellen Toscano, led a successful live auction and Adopt-A-Wish paddle raise! Combined, live auction and paddle raise donors contributed more than $510,000 toward wish granting!
Guests from Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation, one of our World Class Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Guests from Capital Group, one of our World Class Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Guests from Ferrari Owners Charitable Foundation, one of our World Class Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Guests from Iron Lady Foundation, one of our World Class Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes, including Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area board member Rashi Mehta (back, right).
World Class Sponsors Isha Clark and Alex Byer at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Guests from Corsair, one of our Continental Sponsors, at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
Guests from our Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes.
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Suriha's wish came true in December when she and her family traveled to London to meet her YouTuber, This Esme, at the International Horse Show.
Wish kid Suriha and her family at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes. From left to right: mom Jennifer, sister Anna, sister Zoey, Suriha, sister Ella, and dad Dustin.
From left to right: Devan's wish planner Christine Freitag with Devan and his family, dad Christopher, mom Mia, grandmother Weili, and older brother Aidan. Devan’s wish to go to Paris is coming true this spring.
Wish kids Devan, Corbin, and Elena are surprised with small, destination-inspired gifts, handpicked for each of them ahead of their upcoming wish trips!
Guests cheer as Devan, Corbin, and Elena each unveil their surprise items.
Suriha, Devan, Corbin, and Elena are joined on stage by their families at 2026 Evening of Wishes: A World of Wishes
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Following the wish celebrations, Debbie Kelly donates to the Adopt-A-Wish paddle raise, which raised more than $365,000 for wishes!
Sunaina Gogia and Dr. Ravinder Gogia get in on the fun, donating to the Adopt-A-Wish paddle raise!
DJ heyLove invites guests onto the dance floor at the Cloud Nine Afterparty, sponsored by Penserra and Marti Pozzi & Jim Congdon.
Smiles all around at the Cloud Nine Afterparty. From left to right: Board member David Feinberg, Anne Feinberg, Derek Byrd, Tiffany Byrd, Jeff Smith, and Lisa Smith.
Guests try their luck at the wine toss for a chance to win a bottle of wine during the Cloud Nine Afterparty.
Board member George Sammut and guests enjoy the Cloud Nine Afterparty.