Stars Come Out for
Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign
|
|
Join us from the comfort of your home at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, as we host a virtual kickoff to the 28th annual Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York's longest-running fundraiser and an annual tradition throughout the 15 counties we serve.
The kickoff, featuring interviews with wish ambassadors and hosted by Chad O'Hara of
B95.5 FM and Alyssa Caroprese of CBS6-Albany, will air live on our Facebook channel as a webinar. You can sign up ahead a time here.
This year, stars featuring wish kid ambassadors — six from the Greater Capital Region and two from the North Country — will be sold for a single suggested donation of $5 per star.
This vitally important fundraising campaign runs through the holidays. For the third year, it will include a Day of Wishes Telethon in partnership with CBS6-Albany and B95.5, followed by an Evening of Giving, at Colonie Center on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Trustco Bank (TrustcoBank.com) has generously renewed its role as the Presenting Sponsor and will have stars available at all area Trustco branches. In addition, NYSCOPBA will return as a Wish Champion Sponsor. We are thankful to all our sponsors for their continued support.
Along with Trustco branches, stars will be available at Crossgates Mall, Colonie Center, Wilton Mall, Aviation Mall, Champlain Centre and various businesses and schools throughout the region. You will also be able to donate directly to the campaign via aawc.givesmart.com.
“The Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign is unique among Make-A-Wish chapters, most notably for its longevity and the generosity of the volunteers, donors and sponsors in the region we serve,” Make-A-Wish Northeast New York CEO William C. Trigg, III, said. “This campaign is especially critical this year, as the chapter is counting on it to raise the vital funds needed to grant the backlog of life-changing wishes on hold due to the pandemic.”
This campaign is made possible by the hundreds of volunteers throughout the chapter who generously donate their time to staff our booths. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky at kbro@neny.wish.org or 518-456-9474.
|
|
Your Adopt-A-Wish Ambassadors |
|
PTHE AMBASSADORS FEATURED
ON THIS YEAR’S STARS
Madison, 4, Ballston Spa
“I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort”
Evan, 14, Brunswick
“I wish to meet the Boston Red Sox at spring training”
Sydney, 4, Clifton Park
“I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort”
Elijah, 6, Hudson
“I wish to go to Morgan’s Wonderland”
Laney, 9, Latham
“I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort for Halloween”
Jaden, 16, Troy
“I wish to go to Los Angeles, California”
Aubrey, 14, Tupper Lake
“I wish to go to Paris Fashion Week”
Tyler, 18, Malone
“I wish to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers"
|
|
We Need Volunteers Like You
|
|
This year, we celebrate 28 years of the Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign! We invite you to join us again this year to raise funds for local wishes! As you might expect, there will be changes and challenges as we approach this year’s campaign – but we know that all of you are up to the task! We’re seeking volunteers to support the campaign both selling stars in some of our usual spots, as well as considering joining with us, and our ambassadors, to raise funds through our holiday Adopt-A-Wish Hero Challenge.
Volunteers are able to sign up online for slots at the malls to sell stars. Please be aware of some very important changes:
-
ALL volunteers over the age of 18 need to complete a Conflict of Interest form and a background check BEFORE signing up for a volunteer slot. (If you have already completed one as a wish granting volunteer, you do not need to do so again.)
-
Only TWO volunteers will be allowed per shift – this is a regulation set by the malls, and we will respectfully abide. To safely accommodate this, there will only be one signup slot, then you can include the names of the two volunteers (including yourself) in the notes. Please make sure that your volunteer partner (who will also have to fill out the Conflict of Interest form) is part of your family or your quarantine pod.
- ALL volunteers will be required to wear a mask during their shift, gloves when handling any money, and commit to cleaning the booth at the end of your shift.
These changes are for the safety of all, including each of you – our most precious assets! This campaign is only successful with your dedication and the generosity of your time and talents – so THANK YOU!
If you are interested in volunteering for a shift at the mall, or learning more about our Adopt-A-Wish Hero Challenge, please email Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky at kbro@neny.wish.org.
|
|
One Wish, and Wishing for More |
|
An Artful Way to Create Wishes |
|
Be a part of our Gala Silent Auction! We are starting now to gather up wish kid art and wish family offerings for our annual Gala next spring. Wish kids are invited to draw, paint, color, sculpt, sew, or whatever type of artistic talent they want to share. We’ll include your masterpiece in our auction! Wish kids of ALL ages are invited to participate!
Additionally, we would like to invite wish families who own a small business, are artisan crafters of some type or have special opportunities that they can offer for the Gala to reach out. We’d love to include you in our Gala. Wish kid and wish family items were ALL THE RAGE during our 2020 Virtual When Stars Align Gala! If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky at kbro@neny.wish.org or Development Manager Jen Cullen at jcullen@neny.wish.org for more information!
|
|
At Colonie Hannaford, You Can Bag Us Some Wishes |
Make-A-Wish Northeast New York has been selected as the beneficiary of the Hannaford Helps Reusable Bag Program! Each time a $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at the Hannaford at 96 Wolf Road, Windsor Plaza in Colonie during the month of November, we will receive a $1 donation. Thank you, Hannaford and its shoppers!
Note: Through the end of October, bags purchased at the Hannaford at 5239 Western Turnpike in Guilderland will also result in a $1 donation to the chapter.
|
|
Spread the Word, Spread the Joy |
|
We ask much of our extended Make-A-Wish Northeast New York family. That's because we know you are willing to go to great lengths to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, and those wishes could not happen without you.
As we are about two weeks away from our 28th Annual Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign, we are asking you to volunteer at one of our booths if you have the time and are comfortable doing so. We are also asking you to make a donation for a star or stars featuring one of our eight wish ambassadors (six from the Capital Region, two from the North Country).
And we are asking for one thing more, something everyone with a computer or smartphone can do: Share.
Share Adopt-A-Wish social media posts. Share the URL for the campaign: aawc.givesmart.com. Spread the word about this campaign on your social media pages again and again. Then tell your friends, co-workers and neighbors about it.
This year, more than ever, we must try new ways to get the word out about the Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign, one of the most important fundraisers on our calendar. We can't say, "Oh, well, COVID-19 is just going to make it a lost year."
Wishes are waiting. Wish kids and families are waiting. There can be no excuses.
We don't know what the malls will be like in November, let alone December. We don't know how many volunteers we will be able to sign up this year. But we do know this:
We live in a generous region. People here just have to be made aware or reminded of the Make-A-Wish mission, and the power of a wish.
And there is no better person to share that story than you.
With immense gratitude,
Bill Trigg
CEO, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York
|
|
Make-A-Wish Northeast New York
3 Washington Square
Albany, NY 12205
(518) 456-9474
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
