Make-A-Wish^® Massachusetts and Rhode Island

MEDIA CONTACT / TO REQUEST PHOTOS: Heather Davidson, [email protected]

Worcester, MA – On Tuesday, October 8, Berkshire Bank, in partnership with Make-A-Wish^® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, hosted a wish send-off party for 15-year-old Anthony “Ant” Morales, of Worcester, MA at their offices on Main Street in Worcester. Ant, who is being treated for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, wishes to visit Hawaii, and his wish will be granted this month.

Berkshire Bank is a longtime supporter of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and its mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. When the staff at Berkshire Bank learned about Ant, they were inspired to do something special. They decided on a Hawaiian-themed party for Ant and his family to wish them well on their trip and surprised them with luxury suite tickets to watch a Celtics game in December at TD Gardens. Catering for the party was generously donated by Make-A-Wish supporter Jersey Mike’s.

“As a community-focused bank, Berkshire is honored to support the important work Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island does every day to help families in need,” said Chris Kostiw, Berkshire Bank’s Regional Leader for Central Massachusetts. “We were delighted and inspired to meet Ant and his family and have the chance to celebrate with them before they head out to the Aloha State where they’ll swim with dolphins, attend a luau and, most importantly, enjoy quality time together.”

Also in attendance at the party were Peg Wheble, Regional Director for Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and Eileen Schultz, one of the wish-granting volunteers who helped with Ant’s wish journey.

Ant loves cooking, watching comedy movies, and listening to hip hop, jazz, and rap music. In his spare time, he cooks meals and sells them to raise funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research. He hopes to learn some new recipes while on his wish trip.

“We realize how fortunate we are to have community partners like Berkshire Bank,” said Peg Wheble, Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island Regional Director for Western and Central Massachusetts. “I know that when it comes to stepping up for wish kids and their families, Berkshire Bank is a partner we can count on.”

For further information, please visit massri.wish.org or call 413.733.WISH (9474).

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About Make-A-Wish^® Massachusetts and Rhode Island
 Make-A-Wish^® Massachusetts and Rhode Island creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish can be a spark that helps a child believe anything is possible. In the face of life-threatening medical conditions, wishes enable children to experience profound joy, renewed strength and resiliency, and lasting hope to keep striving and dreaming for the future. Together with generous supporters and 500+ volunteers, the organization has granted the wishes of over 10,000 children in Massachusetts and Rhode Island since its founding over 40 years ago, and its vision is to grant the wish of every medically eligible child. For more information, visit www.massri.wish.org or our social media: 
Facebook.com/MassRIWish  - Twitter.com/MakeAWishMassRI - Instagram.com/MakeAWishMARI
LinkedIn.com/Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island - YouTube.com/MakeAWishMassRI  
 

About Berkshire Bank
Berkshire Bank is a relationship-driven, community-focused bank that delivers industry-leading financial expertise to clients in New England and New York and is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB), headquartered in Boston. With $12.2 billion in assets and 83 financial centers, the Bank provides a full suite of tailored banking solutions through its Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, Consumer Lending, Private Banking and Wealth Management divisions. For more than 175 years, Berkshire has delivered strength, stability and trusted advice to empower the financial potential of its clients and communities. Newsweek named Berkshire one of the Most Trustworthy Companies in America and one of America’s Best Regional Banks. To learn more, visit BerkshireBank.com and follow Berkshire on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.