Make-A-Wish^® Nevada

Another calendar year is almost in the books, can you believe it? Wow, what a year, huh? Between the election and political unrest across the globe, it makes me more grateful than ever that our mission is one of HOPE. And while you are getting ready for the end of the calendar year, for us, who start our fiscal year each September, we’re heading into our second quarter in great shape. That’s right, we’ve hit our wish granting goal of 45 wishes since September and our team is working diligently with the 223 kids here in Nevada currently waiting for their wish. I’m a big believer in context; we must know where we’ve been to know where we’re going (and to hopefully avoid repeating mistakes). So, here’s a look at the kiddos whose wishes we granted in our last fiscal year. It may not be all 187 kids, but it gives you a sense of what our team has done, granting a wish basically every other day!

In September of this year, we also began our journey reuniting the state of Nevada. It’s more than just changing your name to Make-A-Wish Nevada. There are so many community members across the state looking to us, asking how they can help to ensure children with critical illnesses get a heartfelt wish. If you’re one of them, please visit our website to find out how you can help.

I’m so grateful for our team which includes our incredible Board of Directors and our community-minded businesses and individuals. A reminder that we don’t get any federal funding. This work is funded by you, the community for our community. The dollars raised here ensure every eligible child can get the prescription of hope only Make-A-Wish can provide when they need hope most. To give hope, it’s an awesome gift for the kiddos and families but also for us as we witness a rough medical day for our kids turn into empowerment. Time and time again, I’ve seen families come into The Wishing Place (our offices) beaten down. They got a bad diagnosis or there’s been a medical setback or anything that could cause a bad day for you or me, they’re experiencing. And then, we start to imagine with the child what their perfect day looks like. Who is with them, what are the eating, or wearing and you see the transformation. Doubt becomes determination and pain is temporarily gone as we discuss possibilities…HOPE. To those who may believe that hope comes from the actual wish, I can tell you it begins when a child finds out they’re eligible for one. (We send them an actual gold ticket enabling the bearer to one wish.) For many of our kids, once they know they’re eligible the hope begins. There have been medical studies that show kids who come through Make-A-Wish stick to their treatments more and get healthier faster and stay that way for longer. We have kids who are now adults, and they still talk about the wish being a turning point for them and something they always remember. So, as you are wracking your brain to come up with the perfect gift for someone this holiday season, I’m going to ask you to give them HOPE by giving our kids HOPE. Click on our Donate Now page and make a gift “in honor” of by clicking the ‘Change Donation Type’ box and we’ll send you an email to send to your recipient letting them know because of your donation, a wish is getting closer to getting granted. And it’s tax deductible too – just in time for the end of the year! If you live in the Vegas area, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to come to The Wishing Place and experience what we do by taking a tour or coming on a day when we reveal a wish is being granted for one of our kiddos. We welcome the community in to ensure you understand what we do. And what you’ll find is that while our wishes are life-changing for our kiddos, the life they change is ours seeing them regain their strength, health and HOPE.