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When Make-A-Wish contacted Trusted Choice® about sponsoring a major wish for a teenager in California, the request was immediately granted. After a three-year relationship with Make-A-Wish, Trusted Choice is proud to have sponsored wishes for more than 21 children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Wish Kid Jonah of Ojai, Calif. had a unique wish that was far from self-serving. Before being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, Jonah was a skateboarding fanatic. He wished for a skate park—not built for just him, but for all his friends to enjoy as well.
Coming together with sponsors like VANS, Fence Factory, OC Ramps and others, Trusted Choice helped grant Jonah’s wish, revealing Jonah’s Skate Spot on Jan. 11. Trusted Choice was a lead sponsor, donating $25,000 for the construction of the skate park.
Jonah and his family opened their backyard to a crowd of more than 200 people, which consisted of family, friends, neighbors, sponsors and professional skaters. Guests included the son of VANS founder Steve Van Doren; Make-A-Wish and Trusted Choice volunteers. Special thanks goes to pro skaters Steven Reeves, Christian Sereika, Nick Palmquist, Tyler Hendley, Omar Hassan, Curren Caples, Louie Lopez, Ronnie Creager, Alex Midler, Jake Anderson, Shane Allen and Dave England, all of whom came out to help celebrate Jonah's Skate Spot.
With a big smile, Jonah watched his guests enjoy themselves in his honor. Jonah’s family graciously accepted the support. During brief remarks, Jonah’s father David fought back tears as he thanked the hundreds of people who came to show support for what had otherwise been a trying year for his family. Jonah smiled for the press as a DJ played music and VANS provided food and free giveaways.
“The impact of a wish come true is far-reaching,” said Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties CEO Shanna Wasson Taylor. “It affects wish kids, families, and entire communities, and we are privileged to have Trusted Choice as a sponsor of wishes in the very communities where their members are actively involved.”
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a recent study of wish impact, wish kids say a wish-come-true can make them feel better socially and emotionally, improve their health and strength, give them confidence, make them more compassionate, and even help saves their lives.
Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980—more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish. |