Beacon verb

beaconed; beaconing; beacons.

:to shine as a beacon

:to furnish with a signal or source of light or inspiration: to furnish with a beacon

It’s taken two years for me to be able to grant one of MY wishes. You see, as a card-carrying member of The Neon Museum, it was about two years ago that I first saw the Riviera Star, unlit, at The Neon Museum. Looking at this star that seemed to fit with our brand here at Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada perfectly, I turned to my husband, Michael, and said, “I’m going to get this star for the front of The Wishing Place.” We took pictures of it and talked about what it might look like and mean to have a piece of Las Vegas history for our wish kids and families. But if I’m being honest, I had no idea how to make it happen. 

Enter Aaron Berger, Executive Director of The Neon Museum. As members, we were invited to a “Meet the new Executive Director” event. Hearing Aaron talk about his rich history overseeing incredible museums, we knew The Neon Museum was going to be in great hands. Now, when to pounce?  

I’ll admit that I can get obsessed about an idea and how to make it happen. And so, as we went to more events at The Neon Museum, spending more time getting to know Aaron and his fantastic team, I finally, probably in a most inarticulate way, said to him, “What’s it going to take to get me one of those stars?” Ha! To his credit, he kept a straight face and said we’d talk about it. And talk about it, we did. But if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t know where to start with this one. I only knew I wanted it. As I mulled the idea around, I began to think about iconic signs and how they represent the organizations on their buildings. I dug into the research that The Neon Museum provided me about this star being from The Riviera, being part of the refresh in 1992. Designed by Marge Williams. Much like our families, these iconic neon signs showed wear and tear, but each one is a piece of art and inspiration, like our families.  

I thought, what if this could be our “Bat Signal?” What if this became a Beacon of Hope for our Wish kids and families, lighting their way in some of the darkest times in their lives? Yes, this felt right and a good way to go. (It also helped me to believe there was more than my neon-obsessed ego involved here).  

As I thought more and more about what a Beacon of Hope might mean to our families, it dawned on me that we needed to acknowledge a community member with a Beacon of Hope Award the same night we celebrated lighting the Riviera Star on its new home, at The Wishing Place. Immediately, I thought of Criss Angel. 

I met Criss briefly when I granted his son, Johnny Crisstopher’s wish in 2018. Criss has granted wishes for 49 kiddos who’ve wanted to meet him and, at the time, wasn’t sure what a wish might mean for his own son. A man like Criss, who has worked so hard for everything he’s achieved, who can afford anything, understood the power of a wish, and I’m grateful he allowed us to grant this wish. Johnny wanted to meet Ryan from Ryan Toys Review, who at the time was a YouTube star but had never granted a wish. Ryan agreed to attend Johnny’s No More Chemo party, and perhaps the most memorable moment for me was when Johnny first saw Ryan. He linked his arm to Ryan’s, and the two of them were inseparable for the day. Hope manifested. Wish Granted. 

Unfortunately, Johnny’s cancer came back, there were more treatments, and finally, in January 2022, Johnny was free of cancer. That’s when Criss and I really began to talk. I had become CEO; he was working on his children’s cancer camp through his Johnny Crisstopher Children’s Charitable Foundation, and I let him know I was here to help however I could with his work as well as ours. That was the start of Criss changing my life. 

I asked him to come with the family to our Walk for Wishes, and they came. They showed everyone the power of a wish and how so many of our kids go on to their own “Wishfully Ever After” from the stage that day. He also helped us reach our financial goal. I asked him for advice as we worked to have an exam room at Cure4TheKids themed for Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, our pediatric cancer and rare blood disease clinic where Johnny was treated, and he had an exam room themed in everything Criss Angel. More and more, he helped me to understand the importance of wishes in a new way. And I continue to be grateful for him in my life. Criss, along with his family and team, brings me so much light in the darkest of times because Criss himself attacks every challenge head-on and with heart. So, it was natural for me to want to honor him with our first-ever Beacon of Hope award. I was nervous as to whether or not he would accept, as he’s not about awards, but I was grateful when he did. 

My hope for all of us is that we continue to look for those who bring us light in our lives. There is more than one Beacon of Hope in your life; look for it, my friends. Mine is in a physical representation on the front of The Wishing Place in the form of the Riviera Star, as well as on speed dial in my phone, Criss. But every wish kiddo and family, my own family, and my husband continue to light my way when things are looking a little dark for me.