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Walk for Wishes Set for Aug. 10
Walk For Wishes ®  is one of our biggest celebrations of the year - a time for our community of wish families, volunteers and supporters to come together, to walk and to raise the money necessary to grant more than 90 wishes this year, right here in our area. And it simply won’t be the same without you. Registration is open, and we hope you’ll register your team and get started today!

Walk for Wishes 2019
Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, Troy, NY  - A ugust 10, 2019

Join us for a morning of family-friendly fun and entertainment, including wish-themed activities, face painting, raffles and more! Plus, you’ll hear inspirational stories from local wish families.

Don't miss out on the fun — register your team today!
Wishmaking Monthly
Gala Lights
Up Saratoga

Our annual Wish Gala in March at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs was a sellout. It was also a knockout -- raising approximately $400,000 -- enough to fully fund 33 wishes for children in the 518 and 838 area codes.

Check out the photo gallery from a night filled with auctions, fine dining, dancing and overflowing generosity.
Wish Ambassadors Star
Our five wish ambassadors for the 21st Annual Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Wish Gala -- (from left) Patrick, Cameron, Sammy, Davia and Jasmine -- were the stars at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs.

The five represented the more than 1,850 kids who have been granted wishes by the Chapter in its 32 years, and the 90-100 wish kids we hope to grant wishes to this year.
Chapter Honors Wish Granter George Sicard
No one is quite sure how many wishes “Lake George George” has captained as a wish granter for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York, or how many he has assisted on formally or informally in his quarter-century as a volunteer. Forget trying to put a number on the times he’s called for help from one of his many friends, whether it be for a load of top soil, carpentry, painting -- or an actual ship captain.
 
George Sicard was honored for his 25 years of volunteering for the Chapter at a Wish Granter Appreciation Night at Franklin Plaza in Troy. Two of the original wish granters, Tommy and Kay Austin , spoke at the March event. The Austins were also the featured guests at the Wish Gala two nights later.
Olympic Training and Whiteface Day of Fun
Two-time Olympic medalist Andrew Weibrecht, a Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Trustee, speaks with skiers March 24 at a fundraising event at Whiteface Mountain.
 
This inaugural fundraiser, which included discounted lift tickets, a chance to ski with Andrew and a raffle for a stay at the Mirror Lake Inn, proved wildly successful. Look for it again on the 2020 calendar.
Wish Kid, Now an LPN, Recalls his Wish Decades Later
As Jonathan Banker thumbed through his dated palm-sized photo album, details of his Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish started to return in force.

To be fair, it’s not like his wish was yesterday. Or in the last decade. Or two.

Jonathan’s wish came in 1995, after being treated at Albany Medical Center for a pineal tumor.

Today he is 37, and an LPN for the very same medical facility that treated him a quarter-century ago.

Jonathan will be one of the honorary captains for the Albany Empire's Arena Football League home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27 -- two days before World Wish Day -- at Times Union Center. The Chapter is having a reception for wish kid alumni and family at the arena at 5:30 p.m. Time is running out to secure your free tickets: Call 518-456-9474 or email [email protected] today if you wish to go.
The Power of Inspiration

On April 29, we celebrate World Wish Day across the world, marking the 39 th anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation – 7-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer. Chris’ wish granters, Tommy and Kay Austin, were our special guests at our Year of the Wish Granter Gala on March 23. They helped us raise a record. approximately $400,000, that evening!

From the very origins of Make-A-Wish 39 years ago to the present, we are blessed to have the collective efforts of our volunteers, wish families, donors, Trustees, staff and countless others in the community helping us day in and day out to realize our mission of granting the wish of every eligible child with a critical illness. Thank you for being part of the power of a wish!

Sincerely,

William C. Trigg, III, CEO, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York