(BPT) – 2020 has been a year of change, reflection and resilience. But most of all, 2020 has been a year of seeking new ways to connect – with your family and loved ones, or with others in your community who need support.
Now more than ever, hope is essential. And for a family of a child fighting a critical illness, hope is the one thing that can help them replace fear with confidence, and sadness with joy. What better way to celebrate the holiday season with your whole family than by raising funds to help these families? Together, you can enjoy the wonderful feeling of knowing you’re helping to bring joy back into a family’s life.
How can you help another family?
Families For Wishes is a Make-A-Wish® campaign that provides an easy way to raise funds to support their mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. People near and far can use the mobile-friendly campaign to come together and give back, showing these Make-A-Wish families they are not alone in their fight.
Starting your own Families For Wishes page is as easy as 1-2-3:
- Visit FamiliesForWishes.org.
- Enter your U.S. zip code to find a Make-A-Wish chapter team near you and click ‘Sign Up.’ The funds raised on your page will support families in this team’s area.
- Create your family fundraising page, add a picture and begin fundraising.
How will your fundraising help children?
Children nationwide are waiting for their wish to come true, and thanks to Make-A-Wish, many of their wishes are being fulfilled. For example, twins Nicholas and Max, who have critical gastrointestinal disorders, had been spending more time in the hospital than at home, sometimes sharing a hospital room.
Nicholas and Max’s wishes both came true in 2016.
‘The entire wish experience was incredible,’ said their mother, Michelle. ‘We were overwhelmed by the support of donations from people we didn’t even know.’
After the family enjoyed their wish, they decided it was time to give back. ‘The wishes are great memories for us that we will always treasure and reminisce about,’ their mother remembered. ‘The boys take every opportunity to tell others about their wishes, and they even held a school-wide fundraiser when they were in third grade to raise money for other wish children.’
There are more wish kids like Nicholas and Max who are waiting to experience the hope and joy of a wish-come-true. Every dollar raised through Families For Wishes will help:
- Grant wishes – A child is diagnosed with a critical illness every 20 minutes.
- Give children strength – Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to help fight their illness.
- Spread joy – You will unite families in life-changing moments that help them cope, and create positive memories to last a lifetime.
Why participate in Families For Wishes?
Literacy blogger and influencer Charnaie Gordon is also fundraising through Families For Wishes and encourages everyone to participate as a family this year to help others – and leverage to teach your children empathy and compassion.
‘I’m a huge believer in volunteering to make a difference in your community,’ Gordon said. ‘There are so many people struggling all over the world, but we want our children to know that even small children can help bring about change. By fundraising through Families For Wishes, we hope to help wish kids build their confidence, fight their illnesses and help them realize there are good people in the world who believe in helping others in need.’
For children fighting critical illnesses, every day of waiting for a wish is one too many. This holiday season, you can bring joy to a child today so they can look forward to a better tomorrow.
Visit FamiliesForWishes.org to join the community of families giving back this holiday season.