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What is The Make-A-Wish Foundation® ? MISSION STATEMENT We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. POWER OF A WISH Families, friends, medical professionals, and communities can be touched by the simple, innocent wish of a child. A wish sends a positive message of hope, strength, and joy to a child when they need it most. The wish experience has the power to reignite the flames of life, creating a journey of optimism for a child and their family. "The relationship between our emotions and our body's immune system is indeed complex. There is evidence emerging from several scientific studies that demonstrate how laughter can positively affect the immune system by enhancing function on a cellular level." GLOBAL REACH Interest in granting the wishes of special children like Chris quickly spread to other countries. In 1993, Make-A-Wish Foundation® International was officially formed to serve five countries outside the U.S. that were already granting wishes. Make-A-Wish Foundation® International serves children outside the United States while the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America serves children within the United States. COUNTRIES Affiliates of Make-A-Wish Foundation® International include: Argentina Australia Austria Belgium South Belgium Vlaanderen Brazil Canada Chile Denmark France Germany Greece Hong Kong India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines Portugal Singapore Spain Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom ELIGIBLITY We grant the wishes of medically eligible children who: have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, are at least 3 years of age, but have not yet reached their 18th birthday, have not received a wish from another wish-granting organization. The child's physician determines whether a child is medically eligible to receive a wish. FUNDING SOURCES Make-A-Wish Foundation® International finances its endeavors through individual contributions, corporate donations, grants, and other assessments. The organization also relies on in-kind contributions to lessen the cost of goods and services. For the fourth straight year, Make-A-Wish Foundation® International received the highest four-star rating from the United States' largest independent evaluator of charities, Charity Navigator, for outstanding performance and commitment to fiscal responsibility. VOLUNTEERING Thousands of volunteers around the world generously give their time, talents, and energy to fulfill the Make-A-Wish mission. In 2007 alone, nearly 7,000 volunteers served Make-A-Wish Affiliates around the world in a variety of capacities including wish granting, office administrative support, special event planning and coordinating, Web site design, fundraising and much more. Individuals can offer to volunteer by visiting www.worldwish.org or by contacting their local Make-A-Wish office. WISHES BY THE NUMBERS Since its founding in 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has granted more than 200,000 wishes. In 2007 alone, nearly 20,000 wishes were granted. Over 13,000 were granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America and 6,382 were granted outside of the United States, led by affiliates of Make-A-Wish Foundation® International. Much like their imaginations, children's wishes cover an almost limitless spectrum. From wishing to be a ballerina to meeting a favorite celebrity, from receiving a new laptop computer to visiting a glamorous destination, wish children have enjoyed unforgettable, inspirational wish experiences around the world. The most requested wish continues to be visiting a Disney theme park. Disney helps grant more than 6,000 wishes each year around the world, including visits to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruises, meeting Disney Characters, attending sporting events and visiting TV and movie sets. ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION® INTERNATIONAL The Make-A-Wish Foundation® has become the largest wish-granting organization in the world and can be found in over 35 countries on five continents. The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America grants the wishes of children in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico through its 65 chapters, while Make-A-Wish Foundation International serves children outside the United States in over 35 countries on five continents. With the help of generous donors and over 30,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 240,000 wishes worldwide since inception.  How Make-A-Wish Began
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In 1980, Chris Greicius was a 7-year-old boy being treated for leukemia. Whenever he saw a
police officer, he saw everything he wanted to be. Law enforcement officers heard about Chris'
wish to be a police officer and responded to the call. A police helicopter flew him to
headquarters for a tour, a ride in a patrol car and a ceremony making him the first-ever
honorary state patrolman in Arizona history. They also presented him a custom-tailored
uniform, motorcycle helmet, campaign hat and the motorcycle wings he earned on his own
battery-powered bike. Many of those responsible for fulfilling Chris' wish wanted to do the
same for other children with life- threatening medical conditions and founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation® in November 1980.