Since 1986, Make-A-Wish® Iowa has been providing moments of joy and glimmers of hope for families coping with critical illnesses. With 300 volunteers spread across all of the state’s 99 counties, the organization has granted more than 4100 wishes. While COVID has changed the nature of wishes in recent years, the opportunity to look forward to something – and to remember happy times – has remained unchanged.

Every kid dreams of having a cool clubhouse: somewhere to hang out with friends, have sleepovers and make memories that will last a lifetime.

On Sunday, one Iowa child had that dream come true thanks to a little help from the community. For 11-year-old Ben Kline of Clive, the big reveal was two years in the making.

Families were all smiles Friday night as the opening of the Jolly Holiday Lights in Altoona marks the unofficial start to the Christmas season.

"It gets the kids cheerful so that gets us super excited," said Brooke Sage, a mother of three.

Hundreds of people showed up for Make-A-Wish Iowa's kick-off to Jolly Holiday Lights event on Saturday, Launch the Lights. Jolly Holiday Lights will go from Friday, Nov. 26 to Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.

On Saturday, people were able to walk, run, or bike through the two-mile path filled with holiday lights in Adventureland Park in Altoona. The Make-A-Wish Iowa changed the kick-off event up a bit, with an indoor space filled with family fun activities and Santa Claus.

New tonight, Make-A-Wish Iowa is transforming their annual Tour de Lights into a family fun experience.

The newly rebranded Launch the Lights event is tomorrow at Adventureland Resort in Altoona from 4:00 to 9:00 PM.

At a special reception in Iowa City Monday, Make-A-Wish Iowa revealed a new partnership with the Gerdin Charitable Foundation of Solon, resulting in a $1,950,000 donation.

On July 29 in the streets of Saint Ansgar, Kelyn Meyer honked the horn of a tricked-out red hot rod, a golf car with 14-inch tires. It was a wish granted.

The Rhythm City Casino Resort hosted a fundraiser with its players last month and the kids with Make-A-Wish Iowa came out the winners.

The casino raised $29,300 through its Donate & Play every Wednesday event. Resort Club members could donate to the Make-A-Wish Iowa Chapter and receive free slot play (up to $30).

"We were just chatting it up at the house, what would it be like to head down the Cedar River? That'd be pretty cool," Ben said.

Liam saw this as an opportunity to give back.

"My goal is to give a sick kid, a wish," Liam said.

“It’s unbelievably rewarding to see a child, saying ‘What do you really want to do?’ and then they realize they’re indeed going to go on this fantastic trip or have this fantastic playset in their yard or they’re actually going to get (what they request), after months and months of an awful situation,” Mowery said.