TORONTO, April 28, 2016 /CNW/ - We're all smiles at The Children's Wish Foundation – Canada's largest wish granting charity that puts smiles on the faces of children with life-threatening illnesses.
Our More Wishes, More Wonders Major Giving Campaign to raise $10-million by 2021 surpassed a key milestone target in March by which time leadership volunteers coast to coast raised over $3-million in donations and pledges.
In October 2015, Children's Wish launched its More Wishes, More Wonders Major Giving Campaign to expand wish granting efforts to include children with serious genetic and neurological diagnoses. Volunteer leaders across Canada have engaged as Provincial Chairs and are joining together to make their own contributions and to involve like-minded philanthropists within and outside the Children's Wish family.
"It has been encouraging to see peers across the country step forward to do something to help these deserving children," said Dave Lacey, National Campaign Chair at The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.
Thanks to these committed leaders, Children's Wish has surpassed this key milestone. In fact, this campaign marks the largest single-pledge donation in the history of Children's Wish: a $1-million pledge over four years from The Slaight Family Foundation.
The More Wishes, More Wonders Major Giving Campaign is funding heartfelt wishes for children like Katherine Simpson, who has complex genetic diagnoses and is fully dependent on oxygen and a ventilator. Five year-old Katherine's wish was to go to Disney World with her parents; something her mom explains, they never thought would be possible.
"It was one of those things for us that money couldn't buy," she said. "There was no way we ever could have taken her without the help of Children's Wish."
The impact of a wish is so powerful that it can be life-changing for the child and their family. After returning from their Disney trip, her family said that Katherine had learned how to smile!
"Katherine doesn't show her excitement too often," explained her dad. "We said before we left that the trip would be worth every bit of everybody's effort if she smiled once, and she lit up!"
Katherine and her family's wonderful experience highlights the urgent need to bring joy and relief to children with life-threatening and significantly complex medical conditions. Each special wish granted impacts about 100 people including parents, grandparents, teachers, classmates, business and community groups and the medical community.
Dave Lacey asks existing and potential donors, volunteers and supporters to help The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada reach its 2021 major giving fundraising target of $10-million.
"As a father, when I heard how much little Katherine smiled on her Disney wish, it served as a great reminder of our campaign objectives," he said. "We're inviting leaders and philanthropists coast to coast to join and contribute to the campaign to ensure no eligible child is denied a wish."
Click on this short video to hear a heart-warming Wish story from the campaign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-FEBK8IKuw
About The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada:
The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is the largest all Canadian wish granting charity dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For more than 30 years, Children's Wish has worked tirelessly to grant heartfelt wishes to nearly 25,000 children and their families.
This year, Children's Wish is enjoying the largest wish granting year yet, and expects to grant nearly 1,500 new wishes across the country with the help of volunteers and generous donors; that is approximately three wishes each and every day, all year long. Each wish is the child's most heartfelt wish, and carefully structured to meet the particular needs of the child and their family.
Already this year, we are experiencing unprecedented increases of wish referrals through our strong medical community relationships for our wishes granted to children with life-threatening illnesses. Now more than ever, we are encouraging Canadians to donate and support The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada to help us continue to grant the next most heartfelt wish. Children's Wish is a national charity with chapters in every province and territory.
Visit www.childrenswish.ca/morewishesmorewonderscampaign for more information and to donate.
SOURCE The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
Video with caption: "VIDEO: Katherine's Story". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-FEBK8IKuw
Image with caption: "Katherine Simpson, 5 (CNW Group/The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160428_C4059_PHOTO_EN_677746.jpg
Lorelei Wilkinson, National Senior Manager, Major Giving, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada | National Office, T: 647-725-6122 | [email protected]; Dave Lacey, National Chair, More Wishes, More Wonders Campaign, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, T: 416-510-5656 | [email protected]
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