Major award for CEO, Adopt-A-Wish on horizon, a royal wish and more

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Wishmaking Monthly

Chamber Honors Make-A-Wish's Trigg with Nonprofit Leadership Award

The tireless efforts of Make-A-Wish ^® Northeast New York CEO William C. Trigg, III, have not gone unnoticed, as the Capital Region Chamber has bestowed Trigg its Nonprofit Executive Leadership Award.

He will be among those honored at a Nov. 22 luncheon at The Desmond Albany.

The 2019 Nonprofit Executive Leadership Award recognizes a “nonprofit leader whose distinguished achievements have resulted in significant progress toward improving a community issue. ”

In overseeing the day-to-day and long-term operations of the chapter, Trigg is as comfortable with the smallest of wish kids and the biggest of donors. He is willing to jump out of an airplane, get into a dunk tank or even get slimed if it means helping the Make-A-Wish mission of granting life-changing wishes to local children with critical illnesses.

“For going on a generation, Bill Trigg has been the face of Make-A-Wish Northeast,” Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Board of Trustees Chair Sarah A. McKinney said. “He has a singular focus in advancing our mission and serving our local wish kids and families -- and he has done so with distinction year after year. The Board is so pleased to see him receive this appropriate recognition.”

Fall Festival PEAKFest Returns for Fifth Year

Enjoy a fall Sunday of music, games, food and more at the Fifth Annual PEAKFest.

Date: Sunday, Oct. 13

T ime: 12-4 p.m.

Location: Saratoga County Airport

405 Greenfield Ave.

Ballston Spa, New York 12020

Come out for this family friendly fall festival benefiting Make-A-Wish Northeast New York featuring live music, kid activities, raffles, local vendors, food and beer trucks, helicopter rides and a lot more! And the dunk tank is back! C.K. and the Rising Tide will play, and for the kids we will have Scotty Nut Nut, who does all sorts of fun things like juggling, acrobatic stunts, etc. Don’t forget to stop by the free dessert table.

Let's Celebrate the Walk!

The 2019 Walk For Wishes ^® was an amazing success because of YOU! So, let's take a moment ... or an evening ... to celebrate your success and all that YOU did to make amazing wishes come true!

What: Walk For Wishes Celebration!

When: Wednesday, Oct. 16

6-7:30 p.m.

Where: CommerceHub located at the ZEN building on the SUNY PolyTech Campus (201 Fuller Road, Albany)

Theme of the Party: Sport! (Oh, yes. Our party will have a theme! We encourage costumes and there will be a costume contest with a prize!)

In addition to the costume contest, we'll recognize our top fundraisers, teams and corporate supporters, we'll have a Team T-Shirt contest (bring one to display), and we'll have lots of food and fun! Your whole team is invited, so please be sure to let them know! Due to the security at the ZEN building, you must RSVP by Monday, Oct. 14 and we will need the names of all those in your party. To RSVP, email [email protected] , or call our office at 518-456-9474.

And one last thing to remember, your fundraising page is live for a few more weeks! On Friday, October 18, we will be closing the book on this year’s event! So take a moment today and ask your friends and family for one more donation. We are so close to hitting our goal of raising $140,000.00 and every last donation will help us grant more wishes for kids here in our area!

Hundreds of wish families, supporters and volunteers came out in force, radio personalities and bosses were dunked, and funds for 10 wishes were raised at this month's Sixth Annual Walk for Wishes at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy.

The Walk featured a record number of teams -- 52 -- and 642 walkers. We raised more than $115,000 and counting to grant the heartfelt wishes of children right here in the 518 and 838 area codes. As a bonus, wish kid Kamal learned his wish to go to Atlantis had been granted.

The Royal Visit of Princess Trinity: A Wish Story

ONCE UPON A TIME there was a girl named Trinity. She wished to a have a royal experience -- to be a princess, and meet a queen, and visit a castle and such.

So the Middleton, Wisconsin, wish kid and her family set off on a journey that was many a mile, to a faraway kingdom known as Upstate New York. There she saw jousts, met her queen – twice – and even stayed and feasted in a castle.

In all ways, Princess Trinity was treated like royalty.

Thanks to Make-A-Wish® Wisconsin with an assist from Make-A-Wish® Northeast New York, 8-year-old Trinity fully immersed herself in her wish, along with 7-year-old sister Felicity and parents Katrina and Brooks.

“I thought, ‘What is the most fun thing for me that I could think of?’ And I came up with this,” said Trinity, who has cystic fibrosis. “It was a vision in my head. … A humongous castle … Very nice ball gowns.”

Read more about this regal wish, and watch the video already viewed more times than any other in chapter history.

Watch the Video

Chapter Welcomes Intern Gilsenan from UAlbany

We at Make-A-Wish Northeast New York welcome our new marketing and communications intern, Rachel Gilsenan. Rachel, a University at Albany senior from Staten Island, is a marketing and finance major, and the sister of a wish kid. Her heartfelt wish is to visit Greece and its ancient ruins. Thanks for joining us, Rachel.

Are you or a college-aged student you know interested in interning with Make-A-Wish Northeast New York? Click here to learn about opportunities.

Winter is Coming -- and So Is the Adopt-A-Wish Campaign

Everyone's mind is on back to school, but we at Make-A-Wish Northeast New York are already thinking about the holidays -- and our Adopt-A-Wish Holiday Campaign.

Our 2019 Capital Region Adopt-A-Wish ambassadors --- Cole, Alexis, Jaxon, Logan, Giada and Sammy -- joined CBS 6 Albany meteorologist Alyssa Caroprese recently at the station's studios to shoot a series of promo spots you will see on air this fall and winter. See you at our kickoffs at Crossgates Mall on Nov. 14, and Champlain Centre in Plattsburgh on Nov. 21!

We can't do this important campaign without you! We will be hosting a training session for volunteers at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, at our Albany office. If interested in attending, contact our Director of Development Kirsten Broschinsky at [email protected] or 518-456-9474.