Make-A-Wish Foundation

We are the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Our special purpose is to grant life-changing wishes for children who are living with critical illnesses. We believe that a wish can be a powerful part of a child's medical journey, bringing them hope and joy when they need it most. Our story began with one boy and one wish in 1980 in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. A kind and brave 7-year-old boy named Chris Greicius was being treated for leukemia. More than anything in the world, his biggest wish was to be a police officer.

A group of caring people in his community heard about his dream and decided to work together to make it come true. They arranged for Chris to have his own uniform, ride in a police helicopter, and receive a badge. This single act of kindness showed everyone how powerful a wish could be. The happiness it brought to Chris and his family inspired the people involved to create an organization that could do the same for other children. That is how we, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, were born.

Ever since that first wish, we have created a special journey to discover the one true wish of every child who is referred to us. When we learn about a child with a critical illness, our trained 'wish granter' volunteers visit with them and their family. The volunteers spend time getting to know the child, learning about their favorite activities, heroes, and dreams. Our goal is to uncover the wish that is most meaningful and exciting to them. We have found that most wishes fall into one of four main categories. Some children say, 'I wish to go,' hoping for a trip to a special place. Others say, 'I wish to be,' dreaming of being someone like a firefighter or a movie star for a day. Many children say, 'I wish to have,' for a special item like a puppy or a playset. And some say, 'I wish to meet,' hoping to spend time with a personal hero, like an athlete or a musician.

The idea that started in Phoenix was too special to stay in just one city. The story of Chris’s wish spread, and people in other communities wanted to help children in their areas. In 1983, we grew to become a national organization, called the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. This allowed us to help new chapters get started all across the United States. A decade later, in 1993, we saw that children all over the world also needed wishes. To help them, Make-A-Wish International was created. Today, our work has spread far beyond that first wish in Arizona. We have Make-A-Wish chapters in every part of the U.S. and in nearly 50 other countries, all working together to grant wishes.

A wish is much more than just a fun day or a nice gift. Doctors and parents often tell us that the experience can change a child’s outlook. Believing that a wish can come true may give a child hope and renewed strength to continue fighting their illness. For families going through a very difficult time, a wish provides a chance to be together and create a happy, lasting memory. One of our most famous wishes was granted in 2013 for a boy named Miles Scott. His wish was to be 'Batkid' for a day. Thousands of people in the city of San Francisco helped make his wish come true, cheering for him as he saved the city. Miles’s story showed everyone how a single wish has the power to bring an entire community together.

Our work continues today, as we grant wishes for children all around the globe. None of this would be possible without the help of our supporters. We are able to do our work because of the thousands of dedicated volunteers who give their time to be wish granters and help with events. We also rely on generous people who donate money to cover the cost of wishes. Our mission is to reach every single child who is eligible for a wish. We want to provide each of them with the hope and joy that comes from seeing a dream come true. A wish helps children look forward to the future with optimism and reminds them, their families, and all of us that anything is possible.