In the News and Blogs

Most children through Make-A-Wish Foundation ask for a trip to Disney World, but Jeremiah Jacobs of Huntersville asked to meet a celebrity. Jacobs, 18, wanted to meet Robert Smith, an African American billionaire who is founder, CEO and chairman, of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners....Earlier this month, Jacobs and his family took a trip to the Big Apple to meet Smith. Jacobs had the opportunity to job shadow and experience...

On Sunday, June 4, supporters, along with local media outlets, all gathered at SouthPark Mall for a special surprise wish reveal: Wish kid Jeremiah, from Charlotte, was granted his wish to go to New York City to meet Robert Smith, one of the wealthiest African Americans in America! Jeremiah, a budding entrepreneur, will spend a day with Mr. Smith in New York, joining him for lunch and a board meeting, as well as asking him questions that he’s been thinking of for a while. Adding to all the excitement for Jeremiah’s upcoming....

Over 10,000 children under the age of 15 in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2023. The treatment they’ll endure to get better is grueling.
Savanna Williams, of Kernersville, wants to change that, and she’s uniquely qualified to make a difference....

“For our kids, it’s helpful to look at other people’s lives who have suffered, persevered through hard things. Our kids have had a really unique childhood, in that they’ve done cancer,” she said.

In 2018, Quincy was 19 months old when she lost almost all mobility, unable to even sit up. The doctor discovered a neuroblastoma tumor.

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, WFMY News 2 (CBS Greensboro) was on the scene during Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina’s 9th Annual Kentucky Derby Classic at Summerfield Farms. The chapter’s signature fundraising event in the Triad, ‘Derby’ brings together guests from across Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, and surrounding communities to celebrate the life-changing power of a wish. Most importantly, the Kentucky Derby Classic is an inspirational opportunity to directly support the wishes of local children with critical illnesses, helping enable the chapter to grant nearly 400 wishes during the upcoming year.

Forty-three years ago, one wish from 7-year-old Chris Greicius to become a police officer started what would become the global movement of the Make-A-Wish Foundation; after that, the creation of Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina in 1985.

#nfldraft #WorldWishDay
Did you tune in to the @NFL Draft last night to see wish kid Kyle from Make-A-Wish Northeast New York announce Will McDonald as 1st Pick for the New York Jets? We can’t get enough of our guy, Kyle! 🎥: @espn | #WorldWishDay #nfldraft

On December 30, 2022, Capital Auto Group presented Make-A-Wish North Carolina with $165,000, a record-breaking donation amount, to benefit Make-A-Wish® children in the state of North Carolina. The donation resulted from a new corporate partnership between Capital Auto Group and Make-A-Wish of North Carolina to help grant wishes to children with critical illnesses throughout the state.

More wishes will come true this year, thanks to a $100,000 donation to Make-A-Wish by Chick-Fil-A during the 5th annual ‘Share the Love’ campaign on Wednesday, April 19. The event was held at the Chick-Fil-A location on East Woodlawn Road in south Charlotte.

What an inspiring day of care! We were honored to work alongside Truist and Greg Olsen in giving back to a community that means so much to us. In February, we were able to grant local wish kid Adin’s wish because of fellow wish kid TJ. TJ’s wish? To “wish it forward”. Thanks to TJ’s special request and with the help of corporate sponsor, Truist, and NFL great, Greg Olsen, Adin’s wish to go to Super Bowl LVII came true! The surprise wish reveal was absolutely epic, and the special moment was even captured by Truist. TJ’s wish did more than just provide an unforgettable wish trip for Adin and his family, it inspired Adin to work hard to get out of his wheelchair and begin walking with assistance by the time his trip rolled around. Adin’s determination and hard work even continued after his wish trip, and TJ’s and Adin’s stories exemplify how, together, we create life-changing wishes for local wish kids with critical illnesses - and why we work so hard to grant hope every day.