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Wishmaking Monthly
Big Cast Set For Virtual Gala, With *You* Among Stars

Our Hope Shines Brightly Virtual Gala is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 10 (wishgalaneny.org), featuring many of our brightest stars, including wish kids, wish alums and more.

Join us for a night of storytelling designed to illustrate the power of hope — and how we can come together to create that hope for all of our wish kids and their families. Weaving the night together will be Tiffany Rowe, a professional life coach who is very much attuned to the Make-A-Wish mission as a wish alum, former Make-A-Wish® America Board member, and chair of the National Board Alumni Association. She’ll share her incredible wish story, as well as introduce you to our very own local wish kids and the wishes that have changed their lives forever — including a very special wish surprise!

There are many ways to get involved leading up to, and throughout the night, so stay tuned to our social media for more information on our online auction, Cocktail and Mocktail of the Evening contest, Instant Items, Fund-A-Wish opportunities and a few surprises along the way!

You can also be involved by being a part of the auction! If you are an artist, crafter, or business owner and would like to have something featured in our auction, please reach out to Development Manager Jen Cullen at jcullen@neny.wish.org. We encourage any and all wish families and WISH KIDS to also consider donating to our auction. We invite you to draw, paint, color, sculpt, sew, or share whatever artistic talent you have! Wish kids of ALL ages are invited to participate.

Additionally, sponsorships are still available with great benefits for your company. Or consider becoming a Wish Champion by using your network to raise funds together for the event. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or Wish Champion, please contact Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky at kbro@neny.wish.org.
Get a Head Start on Walk
Here is a fun fact: Did you know that teams that start fundraising for our Walk For Wishes more than 90 days before the event raise up to THREE TIMES more than those that wait? Brady (above) and his team Austin’s All-Stars have already raised more than $1,000! The race is on, but there’s still plenty of time to get on board!

Register now for the 2021 Walk For Wishes, to be held on Saturday, August 14, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy. We’re working hard to plan a fun and safe in-person event to celebrate wishes and remind us all to not wait for hope, but to create it! This year, we’ll Walk Together AND Wish Together to raise funds to grant more life-changing wishes. 

August may seem like a long way off, but the time to form your team and start fundraising is NOW! Sign up by clicking on the link below.
Weibrecht Skis (Solo) For Wishes the Hard Way
When Andrew Weibrecht, the two-time Olympic ski medalist and member of the Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Board of Trustees, launched Ski For Wishes in 2019 at Whiteface Mountain, he envisioned an annual end-of-season fundraiser for the chapter that involved him skiing with donors.

The first year’s event proved to be a promising foundation. But the 2020 Ski For Wishes had to be canceled at the last moment in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The same went for the slated third annual installment this March.

But Weibrecht, a three-time Olympian, was not going to let a second season of snow go by without trying to raise funds skiing. So he started heading up to an Adirondack peak.

Actually, he started heading up to all 46 of them. Solo.

“This felt like a thing to do: Ski all 46 high peaks,” Weibrecht said. “With Covid, we had to cancel Ski For Wishes the past two years. To keep that tradition alive, I decided to embark on my own Ski For Wishes."
The Property Shop Steps Up as a Corporate Champion of Hope
When John Bevilacqua, founder and owner of The Property Shop, reached out to Make-A-Wish Northeast New York about supporting us, he made it clear he wanted to jump in with both feet! He is determined to make sure that every local child battling a critical illness has the opportunity for a wish — and he’s stepped up to the plate with a commitment to make that happen.

We’re excited to announce The Property Shop is a founding member of our Corporate Champions of Hope — an elite group of local and regional sponsors that have committed to annually support the mission of our chapter. John’s support covers all of our major events — including the Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign, this year’s virtual Hope Shines Brightly Gala, and our Walk For Wishes — as well as a commitment of unrestricted support to directly advance our mission. 

The Property Ship is even committed to donating a portion of their income from real estate sales to accomplish their goal! You can help by letting people know about their referral program if they are considering buying or selling a home. Check out their site at MakeAWishReferrals.com or call John at 518-444-4183.

Thank you, John, your agents at The Property Shop, and all of our local partners for keeping hope burning brightly for our wish kids. Your support means that every wish that is safe to grant is being granted, and that we’re able to seek out creative ways to keep wish kids involved that are waiting for their wishes. 

If you’d like information about becoming a Corporate Champion of Hope, please contact our Director of Development, Kirsten Broschinsky at 518-456-9474 or kbro@neny.wish.org.
Siblings Serve Up Warmth
Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish kid Nicky (left) and his sister Camilla set up a concession stand in their front yard in January, joined by friends Reagan and Mae.

The day was cold, the cocoa they sold was hot, and the cause they were raising money for — Make-A-Wish — warmed hearts.

And there was a lot of warmth on that cold day, as the kids raised $500 for the chapter in just a few hours!

“It was SO cold that day, so it was an easy sell — but we also have wonderfully generous family, friends and neighbors,” wish mom Jules said. “The kids were so proud, and so were we!”

But that day, the mom said, was about more than raising money.

“[Make-A-Wish has] played such a huge part in shaping their little hearts,” she said. “Being the recipients of such kindness at a young age has made them realize the importance of paying it forward and sharing that kindness with others. Thank you for giving them that sense of empathy and service. You guys mean so much to our family for a million reasons, but that is one of the biggest.”
Special Thanks to Doctors, Social Workers and Child Life Specialists
Everyone at Make-A-Wish Northeast New York is grateful for the medical professionals we work with every day, but there are a couple of extra reasons to celebrate each and every one of them this month! In March, we celebrate National Child Life Month, National Social Work Month, and National Doctors’ Day (March 30).

Like so many, we value their commitment, support, and so much more they do for their patients and our community. Their hard work does not go unnoticed, and Make-A-Wish Northeast New York could not do what we do without them. We appreciate you all: Thank you!
Magical Wishes Come from Real Referrals
Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wishes are truly magical. But the impact they have on wish kids and families are very real.

Do you know of a child like Andrew who may be eligible for a wish? To learn more or make a referral, visit wish.org/refer-a-child, or contact Manager of Medical Referral Outreach Abby Connor at 518-456-9474 or aconnor@neny.wish.org.
Kids Inspired by Make-A-Wish
Ava, a second grader at the Waterford-Halfmoon Union Free School District Elementary School, learned about Make-A-Wish while her school was fundraising for our chapter. When she got two Kira American Girl dolls for Christmas, she thought she didn't need both — so she decided to give one to a Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish kid waiting on a wish!

Here, she presents the doll to our Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky. Ava, your donation will bring hope, strength and joy to a kid battling a critical illness. That is the best gift of all. Thank you!
This is Mia, and her mom Devin. The 4-year-old from Saratoga County makes The Most Delicious chocolate chip cookies ever. Not only that, but after she makes them she delivers her goodies to "superheroes who are making the world a better place in our local communities," mom said. Mia even has her own non-profit!

And guess who got a delivery recently! Make-A-Wish Northeast New York! An extremely grateful CEO Bill Trigg thanks Mia — who just happens to be his neighbor!
You know what, Mia? We think *you* are a superhero. Thank you!
Hockey For a Cause
Captains from Capital Cup for Kids, an adult hockey tournament, present Make-A-Wish Northeast New York CEO Bill Trigg a check for $12,000 — enough to fund a full wish — at Building on Love. Building on Love is a non-profit that partners with the tournament and provides temporary financial support for local families caring for a child facing a recent life-altering medical diagnosis.

Despite the 2020 tournament not being held because of the pandemic, the Capital Cup for Kids community still rallied to raise funds for our chapter and its wish kids and families through online fundraising and personal donations. That deserves a loud stick tap and round of applause!
Yes, Hope Is Essential ... And So is Perseverance
We have all suffered badly from the COVID pandemic in one way or another, but we have realized over the course of the last 13 months that it cannot defeat us, our resolve, or our spirit. The theme of “HOPE IS ESSENTIAL” that has been our mantra for nearly a year now has helped us to realize just how important our mission of granting life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses truly is! And we are proud to be in the business of providing hope to our wish kids and their families.
 
But hope is only as good as the perseverance it takes to push through the pain, frustration, and sadness that accompany us on this journey, whether it’s dealing with a life-threatening illness or navigating one’s way through the pandemic. The work we are completing right now on our Workshop of Wishes — a project six years in the making — could easily have gone off the rails if we had given up on the dream of what it will do to transform the wish journey for our wish kids and families. But it didn’t because we kept our focus on the vision of making magical outcomes happen for kids with critical illnesses.

We persevered in our efforts to raise vital funding for our wish granting program when so many funding sources went sideways temporarily this past year. We persevered in our efforts to continue to grant magical wishes for local wish kids during a year when travel has been suspended indefinitely. And we continued to grow and to support each other on our team of volunteers, Board members and professional staff because of our passion for the Make-A-Wish mission.
 
Yes, hope is essential. And it is set on a foundation of perseverance to see the mission fulfilled. As we move forward here in 2021 toward the eradication of the pandemic, I extend our team’s gratitude to you for persevering with us to keep hope alive and well for our wish families and for each other. Just remember:
 
Don’t give up! And don’t give in!


With immense gratitude,

Bill Trigg

CEO, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York