Make-A-Wish Hawaii Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report

FISCAL YEAR 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Sage, 6, Ewa Beach seizure disorder

Aloha Wish ‘Ohana,

When Make-A-Wish Hawaii was founded in 1982, no one could have envisioned all that was yet to come: 40 years of hope and strength, imagination and joy, community and aloha. Thanks to supporters like you, what started as the mission of a small group of forward-thinking community leaders in Honolulu has grown into an incredible force for good, transforming the lives of more than 18,500 local and visiting wish children with critical illnesses.

There is no singular recipe for a wish come true; each of those thousands of wishes has been the result of a unique blend of heartfelt gifts of funds, goods, time, services, creativity, and heart. This year, we celebrated them all—and the legacy you have built in bringing them to life—at community events across the islands, during the WISH! Through the Decades virtual gala, and here, in the Fiscal Year 2022 annual report.

As you read, we hope you’ll see the impact you’ve had on the lives of children like Honolulu wish kid Max, whose wish to meet the developers of his favorite video game gave him a sense of belonging after being isolated in the hospital, or Kapa‘a wish kid Iris, whose dance studio wish is a celebration of all her body can do after extensive physical therapy. We’ll tell you the story of Illinois wish kid Margaret, who found peace in the taro fields of Waialua last spring after finishing her cancer treatment. And we’ll introduce you to some of the many community partners whose sincere belief in the power of a wish will play a pivotal role in granting more lifechanging wishes like these as we look toward the future.

Research has shown there are tangible medical benefits to a wish come true. But over the past 40 years, we have also learned that the full impact of a wish—in its ability to inspire hope, deliver strength, and unite communities like ours—is immeasurable.

Mahalo nui loa for four decades of magic made possible for our wish keiki. Together, we can continue to transform lives, one wish at a time.

Warm Aloha,

Trini Kaopuiki Clark Erik DeRyke President and CEO Chair, Board of Directors

YEAR IN REVIEW

I wish to have a custom Magic the Gathering Deck

Saji, 11, Hilo brain tumor

I wish to go home

Iokepa, 15, Waianae respiratory failure

2022 EVENTS

Mahalo to our corporate partners for their heartfelt support to make wishes come true. We couldn’t grant wishes without you!

Jingle Rock Ride, our 9th annual holiday event, brought community supporters and wish families together to celebrate the holiday season and share in the lifechanging power of a wish on December 12, 2021. While we had to reimagine this event as a socially distanced, drive-through celebration throughout the pandemic, we were thrilled to have had the opportunity to engage our community in the most wonderful time of the year.

The 15th annual Swing for Wishes was on its A game! Tournament golfers enjoyed a bright and beautiful day at Hawaii Prince Golf Club on January 20, 2022. Thanks to the generous support of Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, presenting sponsor Dave & Buster’s, event sponsors, food and beverage partners, auction bidders and golfers, this event aced the fundraising goal.

Every year, our community pours their hearts into supporting local keiki through the annual Wish! Gala, and we are incredibly humbled by their generosity. Wish! Through the Decades took us on a walk down memory lane to celebrate Make-A-Wish Hawaii’s 40th anniversary of granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, while raising funds for children today and tomorrow who need the hope and strength a wish brings.

Make-A-Wish Hawaii’s Young Leaders Board hosted a champagne-chic Wine for Wishes … on the Water aboard the Majestic by Atlantis Cruises on March 12, 2022. Attendees enjoyed a beautiful sunset view, bites by Chef Chai and Dave & Buster’s and beverages from Atlantis Cruises and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and attendees, who helped grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

SPOTLIGHTS

Corporate Partner of the Year

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa

Medical Partner of the Year

Wish Family of the Year

Dr. Robert Wilkinson

Wish Alum McKella & ‘Ohana

Kids for Wish Kids

Youth Leadership Council