Seven-year-old Olivia and her family enjoy spending time together in their backyard. It’s a nice, spacious area, a great, quiet place to relax. However, Olivia has a genetic disorder and cannot walk without assistance. This makes it hard for her to keep up with her family when they are outside. Olivia is happiest surrounded by her loved ones and hates more than anything to feel left out.
Olivia wished for a paved path in her backyard, so when her family is out having a barbeque or flying kites, she can be nearby.
Her favorite activities are sensory based: bouncing, making noises, rolling a ball back and forth, clapping and grabbing, so she also wished for sensory stations set up along the path. Now, Olivia can stop and play with pinwheels, interact with a water feature, listen to the soothing sounds of windchimes or (her favorite) enjoy the funhouse effects of a bubble mirror. Her family has plans to continue to enhance the path: a live chicken feeding area, magnifying glasses, an adaptive swing set and a collection of nice-smelling and fun-to-touch plants.
On October 30, the day before Halloween, Olivia’s wish was granted. Make-A-Wish® Idaho volunteers and staff decorated pumpkins and set them along Olivia’s path. The wish reveal kicked off with Olivia and her father cutting the ribbon together to officially open the walkway. Olivia then used her walking wheelchair for the first time to go up and down the length of the path under own power. She would never feel left out again!
On Halloween, Olivia’s family set up candy stations along the path and neighbors came over for a socially distanced trunk-or-treat celebration. It was such a hit that the whole neighborhood plans to make trick-or-treating on Olivia’s path a tradition.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Olivia’s mom, Kim. “This path is exactly what we had hoped for. Being with family is what makes Olivia the happiest."
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"I am retired from the Idaho National Laboratory where I was the audit supervisor for 16 years and the employee concerns manager for 7. I am a retired CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner. My husband owns Mel’s Lock & Key which we started in 1980. We have four daughters and 5 grandchildren with another one due in June 2021. I am an accomplished pianist and enjoy ringing hand bells with my church. I am also very active in the Order of the Eastern Star and Job’s Daughters.
"Besides our usual charity of Service Dogs, each year we pick another charity to raise money for. In 2014-2015, my husband chose Make-A-Wish Idaho. I attended the initial meeting and knew right then and there, that I needed to be part of this wonderful organization. I immediately applied as a wish granter, took the training, and here I am, 6 years later, living the dream!
"My favorite memory is a wish [Make-A-Wish Idaho Regional Manager] Julie Thomas and I granted to a young lady with cancer. We had to travel about 50-60 miles through gorgeous country. We had a great conversation, met with a couple wish kids that day, enjoyed a yummy lunch and then met with several other wish kids. All of the kids that day were so great! When we first met this little lady, the location of their house was breathtaking, and our wish kid smiled the whole time!!! She was so positive about everything. Her wish was to go to an ocean so she could put her feet in the sand and totally forget about her illness: No cares, no worries, no problems.
"When we did her reveal, she and her family were so happy and thankful for the opportunity to go to Hawaii. I think her cheek muscles must have gotten really sore from smiling all the time. She was a doll.
"The most fulfilling part of wish granting is seeing the look on these young kids' faces when they learn that their ultimate wish is being granted. They are so excited. Their family is so grateful. And God is good!"
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Hello! My name is Tobi Gopon. I am a primary care sports medicine provider with St. Luke's Hospital. I have lived in Boise, Idaho for the last 10 years. I am originally from Germany but grew up in the United States, mainly in Wisconsin. Go PACKERS😊!
My wife and I welcomed our wirehaired pointing griffon, Finley, to our family two months ago. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors, including fishing, skiing, mountain biking and hunting. We can’t wait to have Finley join us in these activities. We both feel that Idaho is the perfect place for us to raise our family, and we feel so blessed to be part of this amazing community.
I joined the Make-A-Wish Idaho board three years ago. My motivation to join the board was to be actively involved in my community that has given my family so much. The ability to think creatively and critically about the needs of our organization and our wish families is what keeps me motivated to continue my work on the board. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and brilliant minds in our community.
Together we are able to bring wishes to life through our fundraising and volunteer efforts. However, we could not make these wishes come true without the unwavering support of our community. Thank you for your involvement with Make-A-Wish Idaho. We, the board members, the staff, our wish families and wish kids appreciate all that you do for us.
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18th Annual GREAT POLAR BEAR CHALLENGE
Make-A-Wish Idaho will hold its annual Great Polar Bear Challenge fundraiser on January 1, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be held virtually with a few in-person elements. Anyone who wishes to participate in the virtual event is invited to join Make-A-Wish Idaho’s festivities on social media, but the top ten fundraisers will be eligible to go out to Lucky Peak Reservoir and plunge into the chilly water with a guest of their choosing. These indomitable divers will also receive a 2021 Limited Edition Polar Bear Robe.
Make-A-Wish Idaho is offering other participation options as well. Those who wish to show off their hardiness at home, can opt to video themselves having a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads and challenging others to do the same, or, instead/also, they can choose to make a snow angel in their bathing suit while issuing a challenge to others to perform the feat themselves. Tag Make-A-Wish Idaho on Facebook, Instagram (@maw_idaho) or Twitter (@makeawish_Idaho) while using the hashtag #PolarBearChallenge and those participants could win a $250 Amazon gift certificate.
Make-A-Wish Idaho also offers a warmer way to participate with a contest for capturing the best “Polar Bear Moment,” by submitting a photo or video with that theme on social media. The winner of the contest will win a $250 Amazon gift card.
For companies that wish to participate, Make-A-Wish Idaho is also holding a Corporate Polar Bear Challenge. Business leaders are asked to make a donation to the Corporate Polar Bear Champions Page at http://site.wish.org/polarbear2021 and then post a photo or video with a “polar theme” on Linkedin (tagging MAWI) and encouraging other corporate leaders or businesses to take the #PolarBearChallenge also.
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This holiday season, Make-A-Wish Idaho is calling on families across the state to create a new tradition of delivering hope and joy to children fighting critical illnesses through a new Families For Wishes activation.
Communities of families, friends and more can create their own unique Families For Wishes fundraising page and raise funds to help grant life-changing wishes. Families For Wishes provides a new approach to fundraising in support of the Make-A-Wish mission by inviting individuals near and far to leverage technology to come together and give back.
Signing up is as easy as one-two-three:
2. Join the Make-A-Wish Idaho team to raise funds to support local families.
3. Create a family fundraising page, add a picture and begin fundraising!
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Make-A-Wish Idaho announces the return of Macy’s beloved Believe letter-writing campaign which gives believers of all ages the opportunity to send letters and deliver wishes. From Monday, Oct. 26 through Dec. 24, for every letter sent to Santa online at https://mcys.co/32nuL90 or dropped off in Macy’s stores, Macy’s will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to one million dollars, to help children fighting critical illnesses.
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GivingTuesday is the global celebration of generosity that takes place on the Monday following Black Friday. This year, it's December 1. Please consider donating to Make-A-Wish Idaho as a part of your annual GivingTuesday tradition. |
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Make-A-Wish Idaho is pleased to be supported this year by the Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation with a grant of $20,000. This will support the granting of three life-changing wishes in Idaho. Thanks again to the Capital Group! |
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During this season of Thanksgiving and gratefulness, I would like to send our thanks to our wish community. 2020 has been a year like no other; yet YOU are still giving, volunteering and sharing the mission of Make-A-Wish Idaho. The pandemic has certainly changed how we all live our lives, but I believe it has caused us all to become more thankful for what we have. And we are thankful for you.
So to our wish kids and families, our volunteers, our donors and friends, know that our gratitude for you is never ending. Together, we are creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. And it takes a village to make our vision possible. However you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, stay safe, hug your loved ones and know that the Make-A-Wish Idaho team is thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Make-A-Wish Idaho is proud to announce the unveiling of its new website, still located at idaho.wish.org. The site is sleeker, smoother and easier to navigate. We'll be tweaking it and adding to it in the days and weeks to come, so stop by idaho.wish.org to check out all the latest features. |
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Don’t Forget to Review Your Beneficiaries
(And Let Them Know)
For many, the fall means that open enrollment season is just around the corner. Open enrollment is the one time a year you can update your benefits through your workplace and make changes without a qualifying life event.
Though you can update your beneficiaries at any time, open enrollment is also a great time to review your life insurance policy and retirement plan asset beneficiaries to make sure they are consistent with your current wishes.
Whom Can I Name as a Beneficiary?
A beneficiary doesn’t have to be a person – it can be an organization whose mission you want to continue supporting long after your lifetime. As you review your beneficiaries, we hope you’ll consider including a gift to Make-A-Wish Idaho.
Whether you leave us all or a percentage of your account, your gift will make a difference for children with critical illnesses, and their families. There are wishes waiting; your future gift will help us grant them.
Tip: You can have as many beneficiaries as you wish as long as the total allocation is 100%, allowing you to balance your family’s needs with your support of Make-A-Wish Idaho.
Take the Next Steps
1. Contact your workplace administrator or simply download a change of beneficiary form from the provider’s website.
2. Complete the form and send it back to the administrator.
3. Notify your beneficiaries so they can ensure they receive your gift after your lifetime. If you’ve included Make-A-Wish Idaho in your plans, let us know by contacting us at JBest@idaho.wish.org. This ensures we receive your gift and gives us the opportunity to thank you for your thoughtfulness.
Note: Some providers may also have an option for you to update your beneficiaries using their online system.
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