Make-A-Wish

I normally write about a specific athlete, but the Make-A-Wish Foundation stands out to me for their considerable efforts to give life-changing experiences to children who deserve it most. Their website claims that they grant a wish every 37 minutes. The wishes of children and teens with life-threatening illnesses are granted by a variety of people like Disney Characters, celebrities, superheroes, and many athletes. These wishes being fulfilled can be an inspiration for these kids to keep fighting.

The athletes that are chosen to grant wishes are picked directly by the kids, and these athletes are looked up to as heroes. When these kids watch their favorite team or athlete play, they may momentarily forget about any pain that they are in. Being able to meet someone that they admire and watch every day is what brings an unmeasurable amount of joy to these children. The Make-A-Wish Foundation makes it easier for kids to meet and have a memorable experience with their favorite athlete. If a child decides to write a letter to LeBron James asking to meet him, chances are it won't happen even if the child is deserving. Athletes respect Make-A-Wish, so if there is a request from them to grant the wish of a child, many athletes will do it. LeBron has granted many wishes, and above is the granted wish of a teen who survived cancer.

ESPN often shows the Make-A-Wish stories and that is where I first started watching them. There is not a single story that I have watched that I did not enjoy. The wishes are granted to meet the specific desires of the children involved, and they often get to meet many more athletes in the process to make their experience that much better. So many big-name professionals have been a part of Make-A-Wish, sometimes more than once. Notable people involved include Michael Jordan, Kurt Warner, Tony Hawk, Ken Griffey Jr., and Larry Fitzgerald. It is easy to see the impact that these athletes can have by spending a day of their life to treat a deserving child to a day they will never forget.