When Ken Kieffer signed up to volunteer with Make-A-Wish, he thought...what if it were my child? 

Lou Cutler wasn’t so sure at first. He felt drawn to the mission but wondered how he would connect with kids facing serious illness. Encouraged to try, he signed up anyway. 

What neither expected was that, along the way, they would find not just purpose — but a lasting friendship. 

Somewhere between wish visits and planning calls, Ken and Lou became a team. And then friends. 

“We naturally step into different roles depending on what each wish needs,” Lou says. 

Ken brings warmth and curiosity, always finding ways to make families feel seen, even asking about pets and following up gifts, saying, “We serve the whole family.” Lou brings steadiness and reassurance, often closing conversations with: “We’re always available — 365 days a year.” 

Cumulatively, this dynamic duo helped grant wishes for hundreds of children (pssst, it’s more than 800!). But for them, it’s never about the numbers.  

“It’s not about us,” Ken says. “It’s about the families.” 

For Ken and Lou, wish granting is built on small, meaningful moments: taking time to listen, helping families feel supported and showing up with care. 

“You realize how much it means just to connect,” Lou says. 

Those shared moments didn’t just shape how they serve families. They shaped their friendship. Lou says, “Ken talks to everyone, which has helped me become more open and engaged." And Ken values Lou’s dependability and heart. 

Both say volunteering has changed them. Lou says, “It gives you perspective on what really matters. I’m a better person with each wish.” 

For Ken, it connects back to something personal — a reminder from his father to never lose his childlike sense of wonder. 

“Wishes are full of that,” he says. “They remind you what it means to be a kid.” 

Both men give their time and support the mission as donors, helping ensure more children can experience a wish. 

“A wish doesn’t end,” Ken says. “It stays with the child, the family… and with us.” 

Today, they continue serving side by side—as volunteer partners, and as friends. 

Their story is a simple reminder: when you show up to create joy for others, you may find something just as meaningful yourself.