Wishmaking Monthly

Walk Week is Here!

See You Saturday at The Joe!

WALK WEEK IS HERE! We hope to see you all Saturday at our Walk For Wishes at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy! Gates open at 8 a.m., Open Ceremonies are at 9:45 a.m. and the Walk steps off at 10 a.m. To register for FREE, go to wishwalkneny.org.

The Walk For Wishes Only Works with YOU There! There is still time to raise funds! One August morning will make a difference in the lives of more than a dozen local wish kids and their families – especially if YOU help. When you register and form your team, you're helping others learn about the power of a wish through your participation, advocacy and willingness to share WHY you walk. When you fundraise, every dollar that is donated is going directly toward granting the wishes of local kids. That’s the power that YOU have! Just go to the Walk site — but hurry!

It's Free ... and You Get Stuff! Registration for the walk is FREE! And raising just $100 will get you the coveted 2022 Walk T-shirt. That’s asking five friends for $20 (or 20 friends for $5, but that seems like an aggressive amount of social interaction).

The point is – you can DO this, especially when doing so means that local kids will receive the hope that comes from a wish come true.

Let’s Create Hope … every step of the way.

Walk Site

Keller Named Director of Development

Jaymee Keller has joined the Make-A-Wish Northeast New York staff as the chapter’s new director of development.

She replaces Kirsten Broschinsky, who leaves the chapter after nine-plus years. Kirsten’s last day as director is Saturday — our Walk For Wishes. (For more on KBro, see below.)

“Jaymee brings a wealth of passion and professionalism to the position that will serve the chapter and our wish kids and families well,” said CEO William C. Trigg, III. “Along with our new development manager, Karla Famulare, we are excited about our fundraising team.”

Jaymee comes to us from Habitat for Humanity in Northern Idaho, where she served as director of development. She moved East to be closer to family and friends, and is thrilled to be joining the Make-A-Wish mission.

“Make-A-Wish is a cause I have been passionate about for many years,” Keller said. “I couldn’t be happier to be part of granting wishes for children with critical illnesses.”

Jaymee has three sons and one daughter, and resides in Cambridge, where she is restoring her 1880s farmhouse and barn.

KBro Says Goodbye

Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky is departing after more than nine years with the chapter. She has parting words for the Make-A-Wish Northeast New York community:

I remember my first day at Make-A-Wish Northeast New York. The entire staff was standing in the main office area to greet me. Immediately the team at the time welcomed me; we shared a few jokes, and I felt like I was right where I belonged. Though there was the heart attack moment when they told me about Wish Jump (a chapter fundraiser that raises money so you can jump out of a perfectly good airplane!) and that, because I was in charge of events, I was expected to participate and skydive! Thankfully, they quickly reassured me I could stay safely on the ground — and I was off and running.

Over the next nine-plus years, I’ve been able to be a part of so much, from Wack’s Ride to Pie the Teacher, from golf tournaments to a polar plunge. I’ve signed my name to hundreds upon hundreds of letters recognizing the incredible generosity of our region in support of wish kids and their families. I’ve attended wish reveals for campers, attended a special wish kid concert in the courtyard of St. Margaret’s, built a balloon arch to welcome home four wish kids from Walt Disney World® Resort, and invited princesses, wrestlers, and palace guards to attend our annual Gala. And I continue to have the incredible privilege of being a wish granter, currently on my ninth wish. And that just barely scratches the surface.

But one thing, one true thing, connects all of what I’ve done here at Make-A-Wish: The Power of a Wish. Wishes truly change lives. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the impact on wish kids and families, but also on all those that get involved in this incredible mission. So as I say, “See ya later,” to this chapter of my life, I remain committed to this mission, and know that all who come after will pick up this mantle and continue bring the magic, the hope, and the joy of a wish come true.

Your generosity and kindness will continue to inspire me. Your friendships will follow me. The memories of wish kids no longer with us will be treasured in a special corner of my heart, always. The hopes for wish kids past, present, and future will keep me near as I watch all the wonderful things you’ll accomplish.

I love that the first word of our mission statement is “Together.” Because that’s what we’ve always done, and what we’ll continue to do — fulfill this mission together.

Thank You. Best Wishes to All!

Summer Means ... Holiday Campaign?

It's blistering hot as we enter the dog days of August, so of course we are thinking about ... our Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign!

We shot a portion of the commercials you will see in November and December on WRGB CBS 6 at the gorgeous Pine Hollow Arboretum (worth a visit). More to come in the months ahead.

A Referral Can Rock a Child's World

Willow was willing to travel far and wide to see her favorite band New Kids on the Block for her Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish. So she did ... all the way to Hawaii!

Do you know of a child like Willow who may be eligible for a wish? Please visit wish.org/refer-a-child, or contact Manager of Medical Referral Outreach Margaret Richards at mrichards@neny.wish.org or 518-456-9474.

Refer a Child

This Wish Will Pull at You

Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish kid Lillian learned her wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort would be granted at the Washington County Pull for Kids. Her sister, Justice White, is herself a 2005 wish kid who went to Disney! Have fun, Lillian!

Fore! Golfers Tee It Up for Make-A-Wish

Summer means events put on by donors and volunteers to benefit Make-A-Wish Northeast New York. That includes golf — lots of golf. Special thanks to (from top) New York State Laborers, Robert Lee Walsh American Legion Post 337 and Play It Foreward 518 (Watroba family!) for hosting recent tournaments to benefit the chapter.

Picnic at the Park

It was scorching hot but still a cool day at The Joe for our Wish Family Picnic. Thank you to our hosts, the Tri-City ValleyCats, for providing our wish kids and families such a perfect venue to gather.

The Walk is About Wishes, and More

The Walk For Wishes is one of my favorite events on the Make-A-Wish Northeast New York calendar — and not because I get to go to work in a T-shirt and shorts.

The Walk serves two distinct purposes. They are both equally important, even if one is more obvious than the other.

First, the obvious: The Walk serves as an important vehicle to raise funds for wishes for children battling critical illnesses throughout the 15 counties we serve. (A note of thanks and gratitude to our outgoing Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky, who has orchestrated so many memorable Walks and other events over her nine years.) Always remember that the money you raise for the Walk is having a direct and lifelong impact on kids and their families, and we could not be more grateful.

But the Walk serves another purpose. It is a gathering at The Joe of wish kids and families, of donors and staff and volunteers. It is a reunion of the Make-A-Wish family, people with shared experiences and those who share the values of the Make-A-Wish mission. The act of gathering, especially in the wake of the pandemic's depth, brings home the power of that Make-A-Wish mission, and the people who make it possible.

I look forward to seeing you all once again on Saturday.

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

neny@neny.wish.org

wish.org/neny