Make-A-Wish’s Wish Ball All About Making Wishes Come True

Friends, family and supporters of Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas put on their dancing shoes and made wishes shine bright on Saturday, February 11th at Wish Ball 2023! The gala, held at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt, was chaired by Wish Parents Jessica and Jeff Benesch, who have been strong supporters of the local chapter ever since moving to Austin from the Bay area.

Donors, volunteers, wish kids and their families dressed the part for the disco-themed event and took Austin back to the glory days of the seventies.

Attendees enjoyed a groove-filled cocktail hour before the doors to the ballroom swung open for a night of all things wishes. Trevor Scott, host of CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” was joined by Wish Kid Matthew as emcees.

Stories of the impact of a wish on a child facing a critical illness were abundant. Wish Kid Daysia beautifully shared her story of why she wished to create a documentary about her life and rare critical illness, dermatopolymyositis. Wish Kid Julia and her parent’s shared about Julia’s diagnosis of Trisomy 18. Julia’s wish to write a book, Julia’s Like Me, was revealed with the surprise showing of the completed book cover.

Three-year-old Wish Kid Noah’s video kickedoff the Paddles Up portion of the night for the live auction. Noah and his family were in the audience as the story of Noah’s congenital heart-defect and upcoming transplant filled the room with an emotional silence – until Noah, from the back of the room, addressed the crowd to everyone’s delight. Guests were then invited to hit the dance floor where everyone boogied until the final song, Donna Summer’s Last Dance. The money raised from Wish Ball 2023 is already working to grant the wishes of the nearly 500 children currently waiting for a lifechanging wish. To learn more or make a donation to help give the gift of a wish, visit www.cstx.wish.org.

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