Make-A-Wish Foundation

Hello! We are the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and we want to share our story with you. Our work began because of one boy’s dream. In 1980, there was a kind and brave 7-year-old boy named Chris Greicius. Chris was very sick with an illness called leukemia, but he had a very big wish. More than anything, he dreamed of being a police officer. He wanted to know what it was like to wear the uniform, ride in a police car, and help keep people safe. A group of caring people in his community heard about his dream. They decided to work together to make his special wish come true, creating a day he would never forget.

Seeing the huge smile on Chris’s face brought so much happiness to everyone involved. The joy from that one wish was so powerful that the people who helped him knew they couldn’t stop there. They wanted to bring that same feeling of hope and happiness to other children facing difficult times. That's how we were born. The group officially created us, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, right there in Phoenix, Arizona. From the very beginning, our mission has been to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We do this to give them, and their families, feelings of hope, strength, and joy when they need it most.

How do we make a wish come true? First, we learn about a child's biggest dream. We have found that most wishes fall into four main types. Some children wish 'to go' somewhere special, like a famous theme park or a beautiful beach. Others wish 'to be' someone for a day, like a firefighter, a singer, or even a superhero! Sometimes, a child might wish 'to have' a special gift, like their very own puppy or a backyard playhouse. And some children wish 'to meet' their hero, whether it’s a favorite movie star, a famous athlete, or someone they look up to. These amazing wishes are only possible because of our wonderful volunteers who give their time and the generous people who donate money to help us.

From that single wish for Chris in Arizona, we have grown in ways our founders could have never imagined. Today, we are an organization that helps children all over the globe. We have many different groups, called chapters, that work in communities all across the United States. We also have teams working in nearly 50 other countries around the world, from Europe to Asia and beyond. Our family of wish-granters has grown so much that now, somewhere in the world, a child’s wish is granted about every 16 minutes. It all started with one boy's dream and a few kind hearts.

Today, we continue our important work every single day. We are still focused on bringing happiness and light to brave children and their families during a challenging time in their lives. We believe that a wish is more than just a nice thing to do; it is an important part of a child’s medical journey. When children get to experience their special wish, it can help them feel stronger and more hopeful. A wish can give them the courage they need to continue with their medical treatments, reminding them that wonderful things are still possible.