Make-A-Wish and Mercedes Benz of The Woodlands to Host First-Ever Event to Showcase the Power of a Wish
THE WOODLANDS, TX (FEB. 4, 2025) – Make-A-Wish ® Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana is thrilled to announce its upcoming event, Wine and Wishes, generously underwritten by Mercedes Benz of The Woodlands.
This special evening will take place on Thursday, March 20, from 6:00 – to 8:00 p.m. at the Mercedes Benz of The Woodlands showroom, located at 16917 I-45, The Woodlands, TX 77385.
Wine and Wishes is a celebration of the incredible power of wishes and the impact they have on children battling critical illnesses in Montgomery County. Throughout the evening, guests will be immersed in the magic of the wish granting experience, getting to take part in a wish boost experience for a Houston-area kid who is battling leukemia.
Parker is an active 5-year-old who loves sports, playing with his friends, eating all types of food, particularly sushi, and race cars. Due to his ongoing treatment, Parker’s health is top priority. While this hinders him from living out his dreams, Parker takes every day in stride and is known for using his vivid imagination.
A brave fighter, Parker never says no to a challenge. In fact, his mom says he didn’t let chemotherapy slow him down during baseball season, telling her “I got this.” It was this tenacious spirit that helped his team make it to the AllStar League this past year.
That fiery determination has translated well into his love for race cars. Parker first fell in love with the world of racing after being introduced to Formula One (F1), the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. Parker’s mom and dad said his favorite part is watching the interviews with the drivers before the big race.
Outside of pretending to be an F1 driver in his electric GoKart, he loves to invent his own food including salads. His parents have been teaching him about how food is medicine, and he loves to create smoothies, sauté food, and make pizza and pasta, often dreaming that he is a professional chef. Cooking for his family is one of the many joys in his life, mom says.
While Parker is still deciding on his wish, with the help of Mercedes Benz of the Woodlands and the Montgomery County community, Parker will get a chance to enjoy a wish boost focused on celebrating his strength, and preservation while he continues treatment.
Wish boosts are thoughtful actions designed to build anticipation throughout the wish journey. While not the actual wish granting itself, wish boosts celebrate the unique qualities of the wish child and help to make the wish family feel special while they wait for their wish to be granted.
“Through community events like these, we offer a glimpse into the magic that is Make-A-Wish and invite the community to be part of our life-changing mission. There’s no greater joy than to see the impact a wish has on a child’s life,” said Shelly Millwee, CEO and President of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.
Granting wishes isn’t just a nice thing to do, it has healing powers. Research shows children who have their wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength needed to fight a critical illness. Every wish can help families replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy, and anxiety with hope. Currently, there are 1,201 children across our chapter waiting for their wish to be granted.
Wine and Wishes is a free event and open to the public. To RSVP, please visit this link.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish, visit www.wish.org/texgulf. For more information about Wine and Wishes, or to get more information on getting involved, contact Ashley Osborn, Senior Director of Corporate Engagement at aosborn@texgulf.wish.org.
Media Note: All media are encouraged to attend this event. Interviews will be available with Make-A-Wish Representatives, wish families and children, and Mercedes Benz representatives. To RSVP, and secure coverage, please contact Michelle Mason, Director of Marketing & Communications, at mmason@texgulf.wish.org.