NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2023
I wish to have a Burmese kitten Grace, 11 cancer
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER, MAKE-A-WISH STYLE! This holiday season, the Make-A-Wish team spread hope and joy across our territory, granting an incredible 63 wishes in December! From winter vacations and shopping sprees to meeting celebrities and new furry friends, we made it a season to celebrate for these wish kids and their families. December is the first month of the second quarter of the Make-A-Wish fiscal year, and the 63 wishes granted represent 50% of our wish granting goal for the entire quarter. In the following pages, we will recognize and thank many of the sponsors, volunteers, and groups that helped bring these wishes to life!
NOV HELPS SEND LILLY TO COLORADO! During a surprise ceremony at our Houston office, leaders from NOV gave wish kid Lilly the best holiday gift of all: telling her that she was heading on her wish trip to see snow in Colorado! Make-A-Wish Board Member Bonnie Houston and her NOV team, including David Reid and Sarah Berry, delivered the news to Lilly and her family and sent her off with a suitcase full of travel treats! Lilly’s wish is the fourth that NOV brought to life in 2023, and we were proud to honor their dedication to our mission by unveiling the newest addition to our gallery: a canvas print of wish kid Lexi, celebrating her trip to see a Broadway show!
I wish to go to Colorado to see snow! Lilly, 5 leukemia
Builders of Hope Sporting Clay Tournament Raises $93,000! Builders of Hope hosted its inaugural sporting clay tournament at the Greater Houston Sports Club on December 12, and it was a huge success! A sold-out field of nearly 100 shooters competed for prizes inspired and designed by wish kids! Through the tireless work of the volunteer committee, the event raised $93,000 to support local wishes. Wish alum Carson was the unofficial emcee, entertaining the crowd with his contagious smile and laughter. Builders of Hope granted his wish for a firehouse-themed playset in March 2023. Thank you to E.E. Reed Construction for being the title sponsor, as well as premier sponsors HITT Contracting, Fullbright Glass Boards, McCarthy Building Companies, Primetime Healthcare Compliance Services, and Skyline Art. Thank you to John Hantak, newsletter Kristin Palmer, Mark Reed This and Bill Windham of for residential attending. Congratulations tocommercial the champion and real estate is team from Miller LaPoint Construction and our met by essentials and guides very own Kristin Palmer as the top female to inform you about the best participant!
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YOUNG LEADERS BOARD GRANTS SAMMY’S WISH AND RAISES $14,000 THIS HOLIDAY SEASON The Young Leaders Board had a successful month in support of Make-A-Wish! At our Stafford office, they hosted a reveal for wish kid Sammy, who wished for an in-home music studio! After giving Sammy the news that his wish was coming true, YLB had an additional surprise: the Ridge Point High School drumline joined Sammy for a special “jam session” with Sammy’s own drums! Watch Sammy rocking out here! After his wish reveal, Sammy’s mom sent this note to Make-AWish: We are eternally grateful to Make-A-Wish-your staff and board, Jeralyn, and the Young Leaders Board for your interest in Sammy and our family. We never expected to be involved in Make-A-Wish, but we are blown away by the kindness and willingness to welcome Sammy, our family, and Sammy’s very unique and complicated wish. Thank you will never be enough to express our gratitude. From Dec. 11-31, the YLB also engaged their peer networks in a fundraising campaign to fund wishes in 2024.This “Fa La La La” campaign raised nearly $14,000—way to go, YLB!
281-491-9474
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I WISH TO MEET THE PELICANS
I wish to meet the New Orleans Pelicans Trevor, 13 nervous system disorder
On his wish day, Trevor arrived at the New Orleans Pelicans’ arena to watch practice and meet the team! He first met Trey Murphy, who autographed a basketball for him. Trevor then met his favorite player, Jose Alvarado! Alvarado presented him with an official jersey, a game ball, and autographed Trevor’s souvenirs. As Trevor is a stats whiz, they had LOTS to talk about. As team broadcaster Antonio Daniels walked up to Trevor, he told him he heard he knew a lot about stats, and Trevor said, “I learn from you.” At that night’s game, Trevor and his family had VIP seats to watch the Pelicans in a close game against the Rockets.
CLICK HERE FOR COVERAGE OF TREVOR’S WISH FROM FOX 8
FRIENDS FOR WISHES YEAR END GIFT Our staff received a happy holiday surprise from Friends for Wishes with a check for $180,000! This gift was raised during their fishing tournament, golf tournament, and BBQ Cook-Off events this year. It marked a special milestone for Make-AWish, as Friends for Wishes has now given $1 million since 2014! The day was made even more special by wish kid Dayna joining, as she just returned from her wish trip sponsored by Friends for Wishes! THANK YOU to founder Norman Walker, Brandon Walker, and so many others for a decade of granting wishes! We are grateful to Thomas Hatfield, Jason Jennaro, and Mandy Williams for helping us thank this group.
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LOCAL WISH KIDS FEATURED IN 2024 CALENDAR! Our chapter was honored to have four local wish kids selected to star in the 2024 Make-A-Wish America calendar, sent to supporters around the country! Wish kids Alexia, DJ, Genesis, and Jonie (left to right below) each have their own month and wish story, with Jonie also featured on the cover! To celebrate, Make-A-Wish organized calendar signing parties for each wish kid. DJ preferred the quiet environment of our New Orleans office, while Genesis and her wish granting volunteers from our Las Estrellas community group re-connected at our Houston office. The Valero Texas City refinery hosted a signing party for Alexia (with a HUGE assist from Alexia’s volunteer, Maria Lara). Lastly, Jonie was the featured guest for a volunteer training session with a large group of Shell employees in Norco, Louisiana.
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A WISH JOURNEY BEGINS... For families with a child battling a critical illness, we want Make-A-Wish to be a bright light of hope and joy. One of the most fun tasks for our volunteers is making the call to tell a family that their child is now an official wish kid. After making a call to wish kid Mason, volunteer Holly L. received the following sweet note from his family:
281-491-9474
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MAKE-A-WISH AND PJ’S COFFEE BREW UP WONDERFUL HOLIDAY MEMORIES
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For the second consecutive December, PJ’s Coffee ran a fundraising campaign for Make-A-Wish at 125 locations nationwide. The campaign featured wish kid Theresa and her wish to see the Northern Lights in Alaska and encouraged customers to purchase a paper star to hang in the restaurant in support of Make-A-Wish. Theresa’s wish reveal occurred at the PJ’s location in Pearland, when she arrived in a flurry of snow on an 80-degree afternoon (thanks to a snow machine provided by PJ’s staff!). Then, PJ’s Executive Vice President and General Manager David Mesa presented Theresa with her surprise itinerary for her trip (she left for Alaska on January 5). However, Theresa’s excitement at the trip was nearly overshadowed by her other adventure that day: the PJ’s team invited her behind the counter to learn how to make her favorite drink! Saying it was “the most fun she’s ever had,” Theresa spent more than hour making specialty coffees and other beverages for her friends and family! CLICK HERE FOR COVERAGE FROM THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
I wish to go to Alaska to see the Northern Lights and snow Theresa, 18 gastrointestinal disorder
In New Orleans, it was a holly, jolly time at the PJ’s Elmwood location! The coffee shop hosted 11 families for a very special photo opportunity with Santa. Our Louisiana team and “Bayou St. Nick” Chad Encalade of “Santa Looks Like Me” invited wish families in the area to personally tell Santa their Christmas list and then get a professional family photo, provided by MillerFoto Photography!
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It was a high-profile month for Make-A-Wish! Wish Kids Connor and Kevin each appeared on segments of Good Morning America as part of the show’s partnership with Disney and the Disney 100 campaign. Kevin wished for a family vacation to Disney, and his story was shown on Good Morning America Life on December 9. Connor’s Star Wars-themed wish for an autographed Boba Fett helmet aired during GMA on December 11. President and CEO Shelly Millwee hosted Ruth Ann Ramirez from The Post (Texas City, TX) for a tour of the beautiful galleries in our Houston office. The Post ran an article on the mission of Make-A-Wish and the impact of the organization in Galveston County.
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT EVENT: BEAUMONT AREA We need volunteers to work with wish kids in Chambers, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, and Orange Counties! Bring a friend and introduce them to Make-A-Wish! January 20; 1:00 pm-3:00 pm Junior League of Beaumont 2388 McFaddin Beaumont, TX 77702
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THANK YOU, KATIE BROMM, FOR OUR HOLIDAY TREE! If you visited our Houston office recently, the first thing you probably noticed was our gorgeous holiday tree in the lobby! This lovely addition was courtesy of volunteer (and wish mom!) Katie Bromm, who offered her incredible skills in decorating the tree for the holidays. Thank you, Katie, for making our office extra festive this year!
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