Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic Winter 2017 Wish News

wish

news

Stories of hope, strength and joy | Winter 2017

ER SUPKaheem, 5

Owings Mills, MD leukemia I wish to be a superhero

Page 3 IN THIS ISSUE 2 3 4 5 6 7

Letter from the CEO Featured Wish Hockey Fights Cancer & Volunteer Trainings Season of Wishes® Wish Highlights Calendar of Events and Season of Wishes Recap Donor Thank You and Kids For Wish Kids®

I WISH TO BE

A SUPERHERO "Mommy, is this a dream?"

- Kaheem

CEO’S CORNER

DEDICATION

Letter from the President & CEO Dear Wishmakers, I can think of no better way to have closed out 2016 than in the presence of a reallife superhero! With a city to save, cold December temperatures were no deterrent for our mighty wish kid Kaheem. While each of our wish kids teach me lessons in bravery, Super Kaheem possesses both a fierce and selfless spirit that were at the heart of his superpowers. Each day, Kaheem and his mom face the realities and hardships of his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment – but when he had the chance to choose any wish he wanted, he chose to be a superhero so that he could help other people.

On his wish day, cancer was the last thing on his mind. Super Kaheem wore a constant smile on his face and found the energy to jump into action, running to face every mission while crowds of strangers cheered him on. Watching Kaheem’s boundless joy, and the efforts of our city on his behalf, captured the essence of the Make-A-Wish mission and filled me with gratitude and appreciation for the community that made this wish a reality.

As we begin a new year, Kaheem’s kind and giving spirit, even at only five years old, continues to be an inspiration and a reminder that even when faced with difficult challenges, we can all help each other. We have many more wish kids like Kaheem waiting for their one true wish who you can impact today. Thank you for your support, and I encourage you to stay in touch with us for ways you can help grant and be involved in even more wishes like Kaheem’s.

Best wishes,

Laura Caldwell President & CEO Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic

Did you mis s Super Kahee m’s wish day? C heck out his sto ry on page 3.

We dedicate this newsletter to the wish children who have passed away. Each child has touched our hearts and lives.

As always, it is our honor and privilege to serve such courageous children.

About Our Chapter Thanks to our donors and volunteers, our chapter has granted more than 8,800 wishes since 1983.

We serve children who reside in central and southern Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland and northern Virginia.

Office Locations Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic Chapter Headquarters 5272 River Road, Suite 700 Bethesda, MD 20816 301-962-WISH (9474) Baltimore Office 9475 Deereco Road, Suite 306 Deer Park Center Timonium, MD 21093

Board of Directors Ed “Jed” Barry, Chair Betsy Gorgei, Vice Chair & Program Committee Chair Andrew Blocher, Audit & Finance Chair Vito John Germinario, Treasurer Samantha Gallagher, Secretary & Governance Committee Chair John Cunningham, Development Committee Chair Kevin Conklin Joe Dupriest Kimberley Grebe

joy

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with

hope, strength

2 • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • midatlantic.wish.org

and

Laurie Moret, Ph.D Scott Schapiro Shripal Shah

.

Jessica Schneickert Laura Van Eperen, Marketing Committee Chair

LOCAL WISH KID TRANSFORMS INTO

Super Kaheem!

Five-year-old Kaheem, from Owings Mills, MD, has always dreamt of being a superhero.

Although he’s currently in treatment for a leukemia diagnosis, that didn’t stop him from enjoying an action-packed day as he transformed into Super Kaheem on December 16th and saved the city of DC alongside local first responders.

After receiving a letter from the Superhero Council notifying him of trouble in the city, Kaheem traveled to Fox 5 DC where he drank a special elixir to turn him into the superhero of his dreams. He quickly donned his Super Kaheem costume and was off to save the day! His missions included saving Santa from the top of the Ferris Wheel at National Harbor, a trip to the US Capitol to help Speaker Ryan, a quick nap at the St. Regis, Washington, DC (even superheroes need their rest!), capturing the Grinch who was stealing presents at the National Theatre, and finally, rescuing the DC sports mascots from the balcony of the Newseum. After a long day and many missions accomplished, Super Kaheem restored peace and order to the city with the help of his everyday superhero friends.

Each of these missions were made possible because of our everyday heroes. A very special thanks to Montgomery County Fire, Prince George’s County Fire, DC Fire & EMS, Capitol Police, US Secret Service and the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

Additionally, thank you to our generous community supporters who joined Kaheem in person and online to make his wish day a success.

Special thanks to: Fox 5, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Caroline Jurney, Chef Demetrio Zavala, The Capital Wheel at National Harbor, The US Capitol, Speaker Ryan, Papa John’s DMV, The St. Regis, Washington, DC, The National Theatre, The Newseum, DC United and mascot Talon, The Washington Capitals and mascot Slapshot, and The Washington Nationals and Racing Presidents Teddy and Abe.

Thank you to our media partner! midatlantic.wish.org • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • 3

THANK YOU WASHINGTON CAPITALS A big thank you to the Washington Capitals for their generous support of our mission at Hockey Fights Cancer this year! In November, our wish kids not only enjoyed a meetand-greet and open skate with the Caps, but they were also featured throughout the course of the game on November 5th. The Capitals' efforts also included a special Hockey Fights Cancer auction, which raised over $125,000 to benefit Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Hope for Henry, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and Flashes of Hope!

Thank you, Washington Capitals, for partnering with us to share the power of a wish® and celebrate the strength, bravery and determination of our wish kids and their families!

2017 WISH-GRANTING VOLUNTEER TRAININGS

Wishes come true because of generous volunteers who donate time and resources in support of our mission. Are you interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities or know someone who would be perfect for the job? We invite you to attend one of our upcoming volunteer trainings to find out how you can play a role in directly impacting the lives of children facing life-threatening medical conditions in our community.

Upcoming training dates include: February 25 - Ashburn, VA April 22 - Baltimore, MD May 13 - Waldorf, MD June 17 - Washington, DC 4 • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • midatlantic.wish.org

Contact a member of Program Services team to learn more at volunteer@midatlantic.wish.org

During our Season of Wishes® campaign, over 60 wishes came true throughout November and December for local children in our community!

Holden, 11 Boonsboro, MD endocrine disorder I wish to go to the El Clasico match in Spain

Marissa, 16 Hyattsville, MD cancer I wish to have a shopping spree in Beverly Hills, CA

Lucas, 11 Silver Spring, MD progressive muscle disease I wish to go to Thailand

Brock, 4 Washington, DC cancer I wish to go to Egypt

Jaylun, 8 Landover, MD nervous system disorder I wish to meet the Dallas Cowboys

Joshua, 7 Ashburn, VA cancer I wish to go on a Disney Cruise

Isaac Williamsport, MD cardiac condition I wish to meet the New England Patriots

Richard, 11 Laurel, MD liver transplant I wish to have a shopping spree

midatlantic.wish.org • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • 5

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Be a superhero for local sick children at Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic’s 2017 Walk for Wishes®!

April 2, 2017 Walk For Wishes® Baltimore

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Baltimore, MD

April 9, 2017 Walk For Wishes Washington, DC The National Mall Washington, DC

April 20, 2017 Walk For Wishes Annapolis The Annapolis Towne Centre Annapolis, MD

June 8, 2017 Walk For Wishes Northern Virginia Mosaic Shopping Center Fairfax, VA

www.MidAtlanticWalkForWishes.org

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic extends a special thanks to all of the local partners and supporters who gave to support Season of Wishes! From November to December, donors had the opportunity to double their donation and impact thanks to a challenge that matched gifts up to $300,000. Because of your generosity, this initiative generated over $600,000 for local wishes, and with over 600 children waiting for a wish, these gifts will be used to help us bridge the gap between wishes granted and those waiting. Thank you for joining us to share the power of a wish® this holiday season.

Local organizations and individuals made wishes come true during Season of Wishes.

Thank you to our top donors!

Organizations • CGI • Chipotle Mexican Grill • EBI Inc • Evora IT Solutions • Fox 5 DC

May 20, 2017

The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC Washington, DC

The fourth annual Evening of Wishes will treat guests to wonderful food, entertainment, an expansive live and silent auction and a special live wish experience. www.EveningofWishesDC.org

To see more events, please visit:

midatlantic.wish.org

• Help Soldiers • License to Innovate • Ralph J. Duffie, Inc • Virtustream

Individuals • Edward Barry • Corinne Bell • Kevin Conklin • Joseph D. Deal • Joseph Dupriest • Samantha Gallagher • Vito J. Germinario • Betsy Gorgei • Mike Ranney • Scott A. Schapiro • Jessica Schneickert • Laura Van Eperen • The Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Family Foundation • The Invisible Hand Foundation

With over 840 children in our area expected to be diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the coming year, we still need your help now more than ever to bring the lasting impact of a wish to kids in our community.

For more information or to donate, contact development@midatlantic.wish.org

6 • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • midatlantic.wish.org

THANK YOU

On November 5th, Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic hosted Charm City Celebration of Wishes at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore.

Guests were invited to pair their tuxedos with tennis shoes and enjoy activities to feel like a kid again!

Highlights included a DJ in the jungle gym, an ice cream sandwich bar, a shrinky dinks station, a seated program and live wish reveal for wish kid, Amanda, which guests enjoyed while raising over $200,000 for local children.

We are proud to recognize TransAmerica who served as our Charm City Celebration of Wishes Mission Moment sponsor for the third year in a row. To date, TransAmerica has generously donated over $137,000 to grant the wishes of children in our community, and we thank them for the lasting impact they create through their support of our mission.

Special thanks to the following Charm City Celebration of Wishes lead sponsors for making so many wishes come true: TransAmerica, License to Innovate and John and Cherie Cunningham, Stanley Black & Decker and Venable LLP.

THANK YOU, TRANSAMERICA!

TransAmerica's 2016 Adopt-A-Wish® Wish Kid Tyler

CALLING ALL STUDENTS:

YOU CAN SHARE THE POWER OF A WISH® AT ANY AGE! Kids For Wish Kids® and Wishmaker on Campus® enable students to discover philanthropy by selecting their own fundraising project and managing it from start to finish with little or no help from their teachers. Students develop leadership skills, build self-esteem and learn about teamwork, while working towards the final goal of making a difference in the lives of children fighting life-threatening medical conditions.

Contact a member of our Development team today to learn more about recruiting your school to make wishes come true: studentsforwishes@midatlantic.wish.org

midatlantic.wish.org • Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic • 7

FEBRUARY IS DISNEY COMPASSION MONTH! February is Disney Compassion Month! Follow along with us on social media as we highlight our partnership with Disney and showcase our magical Disney wishes!

5272 River Road, Suite 700 Bethesda, MD 20816 301-962-WISH(9474) midatlantic.wish.org

@WishMidAtlantic @WishMidAtlantic @makeawishmidatlantic @WishMidAtlantic

Be a superhero for local children at Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic’s 2017 Walk for Wishes® Walk For Wishes® is a family-friendly community event that raises funds to grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region.

UPCOMING WALKS

Join local wish kids and register your superhero team today at MIDATLANTICWALKFORWISHES.ORG

Baltimore - April 2 Washington, DC - April 9 Annapolis - April 20 Northern VA - June 8