I am a strong proponent of using one’s influence and resources for good. One of the ways that The Walt Disney Company does this is through its partnership with Make-A-Wish. This partnership goes back 45 years, with over 170,000 wishes granted to kids with critical illnesses around the globe. In fact, Disney is the biggest partner for Make-A-Wish. Disney and Make-A-Wish grant a wish every hour of every day. Throughout The Walt Disney Company, Disney WishMakers come together with Make-A-Wish to help grant life-changing wishes. These range from experiences in the theme parks and resorts to cruises, shopping sprees, experiences on film or TV sets, meeting talent from the company’s studios and brands, sports experiences, and a whole lot more!
Having met a few of the people whose wishes have been granted through the years, I can attest that this is one of the best things that Disney does. It is one thing to make magic for a guest visiting a theme park or boarding a cruise. It is something entirely different to make magic for a kid who is facing a terrifying scenario with an uncertain future. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, loss, and depression. Disney helps counter these feelings by offering hope and joy as it shares the spirit of possibility with the recipients of these wishes. It gives them something to look forward to, be excited about, talk about, smile about, and dream about. This helps before the wish is granted and also after.
Through the years, so many wishes have been made with Make-A-Wish and The Walt Disney Company. This is a prime example of using resources and influence for the betterment of mankind. These moments don’t just make the lives of these kids better. It makes the lives of their families better. These wishes also have positive impacts on Disney VoluntEars, other volunteers, and even members of the media who get to cover these stories, and the people who get to see that coverage.
Every action we take, every word we speak, and every dollar we spend is a vote for the world that we want to live in. I like the idea of living in a world where our influences and resources are used to help sick kids. I like the idea of living in a world where words of kindness and hope are spoken that give kids something to look forward to (and live for) in the future. I also like the idea of a world where we donate to causes like Make-A-Wish to help more kids have more of these magical experiences.
Here is one moment with a wish kid who also happens to be a friend of Daps Magic. Watch this interview as Violet shares about her experience at the D23 Expo and being a wish kid:
As Violet shares in this interview, if you’d like to donate and support Make-A-Wish, simply visit MakeAWish.org. If you can’t donate, please share about what Make-A-Wish does, even if that means sharing this post! We can help make this Thanksgiving season a season where kids with critical illnesses have even more to give thanks for!
What are you thankful for today? Join A Month of Thanksgiving and share what you are thankful for in the comments below!
