Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada Finds Ways to Bring Hope and Joy During Uncertain Times
Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada faces a record number of wishes waiting to be granted as a result of the recent need to postpone local wishes and all wishes that involve travel due to the public and medical concerns of COVID-19. Nearly 70% of our chapter’s wishes involve travel, and as a result, 20 of our wishes were immediately affected with additional wishes being impacted every day.
The challenging circumstances have inspired Make-A-Wish to think creatively about how to bring hope and joy to Make-A-Wish kids during unpredictable and scary times. Make-A-Wish announces “Messages of Hope” to give supporters and the general public a fun, easy way to help children with critical illnesses without needing to leave the house.
Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada knows that the anticipation of a wish-come-true can be a powerful motivator for wish kids to face and overcome the challenges in their way. Through “Messages of Hope,” Make-A-Wish invites the public to spread hope and anticipation by writing, recording or photographing themselves delivering messages of encouragement for wish kids waiting for wishes impacted by COVID-19.
Before sharing their messages, participants should consider a donation at snv.wish.org to prepare Make-A-Wish to grant the unprecedented number of pending wishes once normal operations resume. The last step is to post the messages to any social media channel along with the tag, @MakeAWish and @MakeAWishSNV, and the hashtag, #WishesAreWaiting. Two or more friends should also be tagged and challenged because the more messages shared, the greater the impact on wish kids and their families.
The announcement of “Messages of Hope” comes just prior to April 29, 2020, known as World Wish Day. On World Wish Day, Make-A-Wish will mark the 40th anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of the organization with noteworthy surprises and announcements. Until then, Make-A-Wish will spend the coming days highlighting some of the messages received on the official Make-A-Wish social media accounts. The messages will give wish kids and their families hope today so that they can look forward to tomorrow.
“Now more than ever, our wish kids need us to keep them hopeful,” said Caroline Ciocca, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada President & CEO. “While the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us here at Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, we are committed to doing everything we can – together – to continue to bring that hope to our Las Vegas community. Our mission won’t stop because we know there are kids who need and deserve a wish. We’re going to continue to rely on you, our amazing community of supporters, to rally around these wishes in waiting. The time is now to help us deliver the hope of a wish come true, the emotional medicine kids need to fight their critical illness.”
Through “Messages of Hope,” Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada aims to build support for the wishes currently on hold due to COVID-19 because wishes can improve a child’s quality of life and produce better health outcomes. More than ever before, wishes need the support of individual and corporate donorsto grant the wish of every eligible child.
Learn more and help at snv.wish.org or wish.org/messages-of-hope.