Make-A-Wish® urges families to fundraise for local kids this holiday season through Families for Wishes

PHOENIX, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Now through Dec. 31, Make-A-Wish^® is calling on families in every community to help raise urgently needed funds to create life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. Families For Wishes connects caring people to the No. 1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally across 50 states. The campaign aims to improve kids' emotional and physical well-being through virtual fundraisers that help grant wishes?because every child deserves a childhood and wish kids at local children's hospitals are waiting for the hope and joy of a wish this holiday season.

Communities of families, friends and more can create their own unique Families For Wishes fundraising page at familiesforwishes.org and raise funds that can immediately launch a child onto a journey filled with exciting possibilities, creating a turning point in their treatment and recovery.

"A wish is the most valuable gift you can give this holiday season," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "The instant a child's wish is granted, they experience a powerful joy that nurtures their emotional well-being. Co-workers, relatives, friends and loved ones near and far have the power to come together to create hope and, in turn, a way for children to reclaim their childhood and believe in brighter days ahead."

Funds raised through Families For Wishes will make it possible for more wish kids like 6-year-old Keegan to experience the long-lasting impact of a wish. When he was 4 years old, Keegan received a devastating cancer diagnosis that turned life as he knew it upside down ? and he was forced to stop playing hockey, a sport he loved. After entering remission, he was finally ready to pursue his goal of becoming a hockey player again. He knew his heartfelt wish was to have an ice-skating rink in his backyard.

"[Keegan's wish is] hopefully a joyful conclusion to the journey we've been on, and the ice rink represents the reward at the end," said Keith, Keegan's dad.

Families can start their individual fundraiser by following these steps: 

1. Visit familiesforwishes.org.
2. Enter a U.S. zip code to find a Make-A-Wish team nearby. Funds raised will support families in the team's chosen area.
3. Create a family fundraising page, add a picture and begin fundraising.

To learn more about Make-A-Wish and how to make life-changing wishes possible for children with critical illnesses by joining a Families For Wishes team, visit familiesforwishes.org.

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff, and more than 24,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 520,000 wishes in nearly 50 countries worldwide; more than 350,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

SOURCE Make-A-Wish Foundation of America