Make-A-Wish® Northeastern & Central California

Make-A-Wish® grants the heartfelt wishes of children battling critical illnesses. A wish becomes a rallying point for themselves, their families, and friends. Research shows that children who have wishes granted build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight. In short, a wish delivers hope when it is needed the most. Make-A-Wish was inspired by a 7-year-old boy named Chris Greicius, who wanted to be a law enforcement officer. His wish set in motion a phenomenon that would create an unprecedented kind of charity that grants wishes to children battling critical illnesses every 34 minutes nationwide. Three years after Chris’ wish inspired the formation of the charity, the local chapter which now spans across 45 counties in Northeastern & Central California and Northern Nevada was founded in 1983. Since then, more than 8500 wishes have been granted to children in our communities. With the help of generous donors, community supporters and dedicated volunteers in all of our regions, our chapter is on track to grant more than 400 wishes this year, or one every 20 hours. The vision of Make-A-Wish is to grant the wish of every eligible child to bring hope, strength, and joy to them when they most need it and to give them a lifetime of happy memories. Wishes are more than just a nice thing to have – they are a need to have for a child battling a critical illness. Having the ability to grant wishes is truly transformational. This is what the power of a wish is all about.