Over 1,400 walkers came out to support the local chapter of Make-A-Wish at the 3rd Annual Walk For Wishes® event on Saturday, April 27. The event was held at the Great Park in Irvine and raised more than $170,000

COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO Raises Funds and Awareness For Local Chapter of Make-A-Wish^® AT ORANGE COUNTY Walk For Wishes^®

The proceeds from the walk directly help grant the wishes of local children who face life-threatening medical conditions.

“We are overjoyed by the success of today’s walk,” said Stephanie McCormick, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire. “It was thrilling to see such an amazing Orange County community presence and we are truly grateful for the support.”

Walk For Wishes featured a reunion of current and former wish recipients in celebration of the chapter’s 30^th anniversary which included 26-year-old, Selah Short, team captain of the Make-A-Wish Alumni All Stars. Selah’s wish at age 4 to go on a Disney cruise gave her the hope, strength and joy that remain with her today and motivate her to support Make-A-Wish as a volunteer Wish Ambassador.

“I absolutely love being able to give back, from watching the smile on a wish child’s face to watching the glimmer of hope in the eyes of the families who hear my story,” Selah said. “My hope is to create awareness and support for an organization that has impacted so many lives.”

Walk For Wishes proved to be a day of excitement, entertainment and inspiration made possible by Trusted Choice, Mackenzie Corporation, Pacific Contours and Link Murrel & Change, as well as Cox Cares, Orange County Business Bank, North American Health Care, Seven Gables Real Estate, and Dave and Busters. The top fundraising team was Disney VoluntEARS which raised $18,120. The top individual fundraiser award went to Steve Takenaga who raised more than $4,500. Special thanks to Lokelani’s Rhythm of the Islands, Radio For the People, Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, all the vendor/sponsors and the dozens of volunteers, walkers and wish families who helped make the event a success. Make-A-Wish simply could not exist if it weren’t for the support of the community.

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Make-A-Wish^® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, with 62 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish every 38 minutes and has granted more than 200,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire, visit wishocie.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish^®.

Colleen Donovan