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We cannot add days to a child’s life but we can add life to a child’s day
Imagine having the opportunity to help make a child’s wish come true. Imagine the chance to make a difference in their lives forever. Imagine taking part in that magical moment when their cherished wish is granted, their eyes light up – full of surprise, wonder and sheer delight as their dreams and imagination comes to life! It is that magic that Make-A-Wish New Zealand seeks to create each day.
Make-A-Wish® New Zealand has been granting wishes to children and young people since 1987. Wishes bring magic, joy and hope to these children and their families, as well as unforgettable experiences. We are the only children’s charity in New Zealand that focuses solely on wish granting.
Mission
The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant wishes to children who are living with a life-threatening illness.
Make-A-Wish in New Zealand
In 2008, we celebrated our 21st year of granting wishes in New Zealand, an achievement we are extremely proud of. We feel privileged to have been able to bring the magic and joy experienced by the first wish child, Christopher Greicius, to more than 800 kiwi kids.
Our first wish
In 1987 our first wish was granted to a 4-year-old boy named Daniel with leukaemia who wanted to have Christmas in October.
Make-A-Wish New Zealand today
Since creating magic for Daniel, Make-A-Wish New Zealand has been truly empowered, now granting around 160 wishes every year. We have a dedicated team of staff, volunteers and board members that make wishes come true.
Every day New Zealand children are diagnosed with illnesses that deeply impact upon their quality of life and have enormous implications for family, friends and communities. For a child or young person who is learning and exploring and discovering our great wild world, it’s a tremendous shock. For their families, the shock and denial can be even greater.
Make-A-Wish gives each of these children the chance to be a child again, to delight in a special trip to Australia’s Gold Coast, the glamour of meeting a celebrity, the opportunity ‘to be’ a favourite hero for the day or to be reunited with family and friends far away. It’s a small way for each wish recipient to forget the pain and discomfort, to have a special moment to treasure that allows them to live out their wildest dreams. For the families, it is a time to create special memories to cherish forever.
The Foundation receives no automatic Government funding and relies on donations from the public, sponsors, grants from trusts and special events to support our nationwide wish granting activities. A number of generous and loyal supporters throughout New Zealand share in the power of a wish by providing in-kind product donations and services from limousine rides to behind the scene tours of Auckland Zoo.
Make-A-Wish New Zealand is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International with over 30 affiliates throughout the world.
