BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES THROUGH WISHES Prepared for Ya YA Foods
5,000
Wishes granted in Utah since 1985
Every day, Ya YA Foods helps provide products that nourish families across North America. Through a partnership with Make-A-Wish Utah, Ya YA Foods can help deliver something equally essential to children facing critical illnesses: hope. Together, we can create life-changing wish experiences for children and families throughout Weber County and Northern Utah.
Join the Movement!
$12,900
Cost to fulfill a wish
279
Utah children currently waiting for a wish
Why Ya YA Foods? Family. Community. Opportunity. Ya Ya Foods has built its business on the belief that strong companies create strong communities. Through its investment in Ogden and Weber County, Ya Ya Foods is helping create opportunities for local families. A partnership with Make-A-Wish Utah extends that impact to children facing critical illnesses and the families who support them.
Our Shared Goal To ensure every eligible child has the opportunity to experience the hope, strength, and joy of a wish during one of the most challenging times in their life. Make-AWish Utah's vision is to reach every eligible child and continue closing the referral gap that leaves too many children unreached.
"Every eligible child deserves the opportunity to experience the hope and transformation a wish provides."
A Wish is More Than a Moment It Can Change a Child’s Journey
Your support has direct impact.
9 out of 10 medical providers say a wish increases compliance with medical treatments.
9 out of 10 parents observe their child’s emotional well-being improves with a wish.
9 out of 10 medical providers observe that the wish experience helps relieve a family from traumatic stress.
9 out of 10 wish alumni reported that their wish made them feel more joyful, confident and hopeful for their future.
9 out of 10 parents report that their child’s wish experience strengthened their relationship with loved ones.
*Source: 2022 Wish Impact Study, wish.org/impact-study
A wish doesn’t just create joy. It helps children and families build resilience, hope, and strength throughout their treatment journey.
What a Wish Can Do The moment a wish is granted, it can transform a child’s life, bringing strength, joy and renewed hope when it’s needed most. Research shows that wishes have proven physical and emotional benefits that can give children with critical illnesses better health outcomes. Get involved today and help grant a life-changing wish. At Make-A-Wish Utah, we grant wishes for kids fighting critical illnesses – and these wishes are more than just feel-good moments. They have proven physical and emotional benefits, can create a real turning point in a child’s treatment, and even give them a better chance of survival. The majority of kids whose wishes we grant go on to beat their illnesses and live typical, healthy lives.
I wish to be a cowgirl Kionna, 6 cancer
Our Mission
Our Vision
Together, we create life-changing wishes for Utah children fighting critical illnesses.
To grant the wish of every eligible child.
The Impact of a Wish
A wish gives children renewed energy and strength, brings families closer and unites entire communities.
Wishes help children replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope.
A wish provides a unique source of strength and resilience that medical treatments alone cannot offer.
Every child deserves a childhood. You can give hope and joy to a child who needs a wish in your community today.
Types of Wishes
I WISH TO GO
I WISH TO BE
I WISH TO MEET
I WISH TO HAVE
I WISH TO GIVE
Make-A-Wish Utah By The Numbers
279
221
237
Utah wish kids waiting for a wish
wishes granted in 2025
wishes granted in 2026
5,000+
4/4
Utah Wishes granted since inception in 1986
Charity Navigator Score
The Children We Serve Cancers
42.9%
Transplants
5.5%
Neurological Conditions
15.3%
Circulatory Conditions
2.8%
Congenital Anomalies
11.7%
Genitourinary Conditions
2.7%
Metabolic/Endocrine/Immunology
6.3%
Other
7.0%
Blood Diseases
5.8%
Supporting Families in Weber County Helping Local Children Experience Hope Ya Ya Foods has made a significant investment in Ogden through its operations, employees, and community presence. A partnership with Make-A-Wish Utah extends that impact directly to local children and families facing critical illnesses, creating hope in the community many Ya YA Foods employees call home.
I wish to go to Walt Disney World Arie, 4 cancer
I wish to go to Hawaii
I wish to go to Walt Disney World
Ammon, 9
Luna, 7 leukemia
brain tumor
Farr West
Hooper
I wish to go to Walt Disney World
I wish to go to Walt Disney World
Zaimion, 11
Sophie, 4
leukemia
brain tumor
Ogden
Ogden
Weber County by the Numbers
South Ogden
I wish to go to Aulani Ellie, 18 nervous system disorder
Plain City
I wish to go to Walt Disney World Remington, 8
17 21 $270,900
Weber County wishes were granted last year local children are waiting for their wish
I wish to travel somewhere new in the US Braxton, 18 autoimmune disorder Ogden
would fund the wishes currently waiting in Weber County
autoimmune disorder
West Haven
A Wish Comes True Meet Spencee from West Haven At just four years old, Spencee's family discovered a lump on her arm that led to a life-changing diagnosis: a rare and aggressive form of cancer. What followed was a whirlwind of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and months of uncertainty. Despite it all, Spencee continued to bring joy to those around her with her bright personality, love of horses, and unstoppable cowgirl spirit. Today, she is officially in remission.
“I wish to have a playhouse.” When it came time to choose her wish, Spencee knew exactly what she wanted: a purple playhouse with pink trim where she could care for her baby dolls, play "mom," and let her imagination run free. For Spencee, a wish is more than a playhouse. It's a symbol of hope, healing, and a future filled with possibility.
For Spencee and her family, a wish meant more than a playhouse. It created hope, healing, and joy after one of the most difficult chapters of their lives. With 21 children currently waiting in Weber County, more community support is needed to help make stories like Spencee's possible for every eligible child.
Why Partner with Make-A-Wish Utah? Good for Kids. Good for Families. Good for Community. Community Impact Supporting children facing critical illnesses in the communities where your employees live and work.
Employee Engagement Employees increasingly want to work for organizations that invest in meaningful causes.
Brand Alignment Align with one of the most recognized nonprofit brands in the world.
Family Connection Create opportunities to support local families during some of life's most challenging moments.
Corporate Support = More Than a Donation
92% Of Americans who are employed full/part time say they would be more committed to their employer if it supported Make-A-Wish.
79% Of people ages 18–34 would feel more engaged with their company if it supported Make-A-Wish.
75% Would be more likely to recommend their employer to other potential employees if their company supported Make-A-Wish. *The Harris Poll, Make-A-Wish Employee Engagement
83
%
of adults said they would feel like they were doing something positive for their community by working for a company that supports Make-A-Wish.*
Partnership Priorities Building Hope Together Ya YA Foods has already made a meaningful investment in the Ogden community through its people, operations, and local presence. A partnership with Make-A-Wish Utah offers an opportunity to extend that impact by helping children and families facing some of life's most difficult challenges. From supporting wish experiences and medical outreach to engaging employees and investing in Weber County families, there are many ways we can work together to create lasting community impact and bring the transformative power of a wish to more children across Utah. Approximately one in four medically eligible Utah children are not currently referred to MakeA-Wish, making community partnerships more important than ever. Make-A-Wish Utah's FY27 goals include granting 245 wishes and generating 255-285 referrals as we work to reach every eligible child.
Lead Wish Partner Provide funding that helps grant wishes for Utah children facing critical illnesses and supports efforts to reach more eligible children throughout the state. Make-A-Wish Utah's FY27 goal is to grant 245 wishes and generate 255-285 referrals.
Employee Engagement & Volunteerism Create meaningful opportunities for employees to connect with the mission through volunteer projects, wish celebrations, wish reveals, kit-building activities, and other family-centered experiences.
Weber County Community Impact Direct support toward helping children and families in Weber County and Northern Utah, creating a lasting impact in the communities where many Ya YA Foods employees live and work.
Wish Family Experiences Help create memorable wish experiences through financial support, in-kind resources, employee volunteers, or participation in wish celebrations.
Medical Outreach & Closing the Wish Gap Support efforts to identify and reach medically eligible children who have not yet been referred to Make-A-Wish. Approximately one in four medically eligible Utah children are not currently referred, and closing that gap is a core organizational priority.
Help Impact the Wish Journey of a Utah Child Including Potential Ya YA Foods Engagement
A transformed life, off to change the lives of other children - many of whom will grow into adulthood.
Onboarding 2
1
Alumni and Family Engagement
Referral
6
3
Wish Discovery 4 5
Medical Professionals
Wish Alumni
Wish Granting Staff
Milestone
Wish Granting Volunteers
Wish Boost
Wish Granted Wish Creation
Vendors, Donors, Sponsors
I wish to be a firefighter Eli, 6 immune deficit disorder
Let’s Build Something Life-Changing A wish can change a child's outlook. A family's journey. A community's future. Together, we can help grant more wishes and bring hope to children who need it most.
Prepared for Ya YA Foods
Contact Garrett Gallegos Corporate Development Manager Make-A-Wish Utah ggallegos@utah.wish.org Mobile: (801) 814-8065
I wish to be a superhero Carter, 9 genetic disorder
utah.wish.org makeawishutah make-a-wish-utah UTAH
makeawishutah