The Make-A-Wish Foundation
Contact: Christina Collinge
Address: 1234 Walk Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 555-7677
Fax: (404) 555-7678
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Email: christina@makeawish.org
Walk for Wishes Atlanta 2011
Atlanta, Ga. (April 4, 2011)—The Georgia and Alabama Chapter of The Make-A -Wish Foundation introduces Walk for Wishes: A day walk that celebrates the success of individuals and teams that raised funds that in return grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
The Walk for Wishes is a special event to spend time with your friends, family and team members while sharing in the hope, strength and joy you've helped bring to Georgia and Alabama children waiting for their wishes to come to life.
Walk for Wishes was developed by the Georgia and Alabama Chapter of The Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2011. Kari Love, senior events development officer, proposed the idea of a celebratory walk for raising funds for the chapter. Love is a dedicated team member of the Georgia and Alabama chapter and always enjoys planning events for our supporters and organization.
“Walk for Wishes is going to be an absolute blast this spring. “ Love said. “Our supporters have already raised over $71,000 and I couldn’t be happier to work for such an amazing organization. This walk is going to be so successful and I can’t wait to get out there and walk with everyone. I couldn’t do my job without our awesome supporters and volunteers, so I think it is very important that our staff participates
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in this walk as well.”
We are proud to announce that Walk for Wishes will be held in Atlanta at Atlantic Station on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Atlantic Station is a welcoming community located in the heart of Atlanta that includes indoor and outdoor attractions. The development consists of up-scale housing with world-class restaurants, theaters, retailers, community events and extraordinary exhibits such as Bodies and Dialogue In The Dark. Atlantic Station provides homes for 10,000 people and offers 30,000 job opportunities.
Jenna Thomas, media relations with Cohne & Wolfe for Atlantic Station, is pleased to be a part the awesome events that Atlantic Station hosts each month. “I am really excited to be helping out with Walk for Wishes this April. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a great organization, and Atlantic Station is very honored to be a part of this walk to help out the children with illnesses in our own community.”
The registration cost to participate in the walk is $10.00 and our wonderful supporters that raise $100 or more will receive a Walk for Wishes t-shirt. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk program will start at 10:30 a.m. Walk for Wishes will end promptly at 11:30 a.m. Walkers and guest are invited to enjoy all the attractions offered at Atlantic Station and around Atlanta after the Walk for Wishes festivities are completed.
Frank Shankwitz, Linda Bergendahl-Pauling, and Scott Stahl founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation in November 1980. A little boy named Christian James Greicius who was suffering from leukemia, dreamed of becoming a police officer. The three
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founders saw how happy Christian was after receiving his one wish, and wondered how they could do the same for other children suffering from life threatening medical conditions.
By March 1981, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, now a (c)(3) non-profit organization, raised over $2,000 and was able to grant its first official wish. The first Make-A-Wish kid was a 7-year-old boy named Frank Salazar who was diagnosed with leukemia. His dream was to become a fire fighter. In Arizona, the Phoenix Fire Department provided Frank with a full uniform including turnouts, a badge and a helmet. Franks day was made when the fire department let him blast the horn and use the 75-pound hose on the fire truck. From there, media coverage of Frank made others want to help the cause too.
Many corporations, such as Disneyland, wanted to help the foundation. Corporate sponsor Disneyland, created a special day only for The Make-A-Wish Foundation wish recipients. This day is filled with rides, fun and games, food, gifts and more. To this day, the foundation and Disneyland both have an enchanting relationship.
From the first wish granted in 1981 to the present, The Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted over 200,000 wishes and has over 75,000 volunteers. The first donation was $15 from a grocery store manager who pulled it right out of his back pocket. Thanks to all the generous donations, a wish that cost an average of $7,000 is granted every 40 minutes.
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All kids suffering from serious medical conditions ages two and a half to 18 and meet the medical criteria established by the foundation are eligible to have their wish granted. The first step in getting a wish granted is to refer a child online.
Children’s requests usually begin with, I wish to be, I wish to go, I wish to have and I wish to meet. None of the children are denied due to lack of funds and local chapters grant the children’s wishes.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama was founded in 1995 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The chapter has 21 full and part-employees, two main offices in Georgia and Alabama and more than 10 corporate sponsors. Over 4,000 wishes have been granted by this chapter and hoping to grant 350 wishes in 2011.
Walk for Wishes Atlanta 2011 is going to be a great fundraiser for this chapter. We look forward to seeing all of our supporters and having a successful and safe walk on April 16, at Atlantic Station.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 and gives hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. As a national, non-profit organization, The Make-A-Wish Foundation is honored to grant a new wish to a deserving child every 40 minutes.
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