Samantha's Wish to meet Kanye West

Portsmouth, RI - Wishkid Samantha got the chance of a lifetime to meet her favorite hip-hop star, Kanye West at the Tweeter center in Boston. The moment could not come soon enough as the 15-year-old from Portsmouth anxiously rode in a limo with her sister to the arena. Samantha was able to meet West and attend his concert thanks to contributions from The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Rhode Island, Rock Start Limousine, and Samsonite.

The Glow in the Dark show featuring West, Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, and N.E.R.D was considered to be one of the best concerts in ten years. Before the concert began, Samantha was able to spend over an hour with the one and only superstar. West is an icon and one of the top MC's in the business and Samantha was able to be a part of that magic up close and personal. The four, unforgettable hours that Samantha spent at the Tweeter center made her feel like the luckiest girl in Rhode Island! 

When she isn't spending her time with celebrities, Samantha lives the life of a teenager shopping at Delia's and watching the hit show, Scrubs. In addition to West, she is a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio. On her down time, she enjoys seeing A Walk to Remember while snacking on cool ranch Doritos.  

While Samantha suffers from a brain injury, she still keeps an upbeat and optimistic outlook on life. Meeting West and attending the memorable tour was the highlight of her life and she couldn't be more thankful. Now every time she listens to the lyrical master's art, she'll be able to think back to that special night and imagine that he's in the room with her.

Olivia's "Zorro" Wish!

With memories made to last a lifetime, Olivia will never forget her wish trip to Los Angeles, CA to meet Antonio Banderas!  An avid fencer, the movie "Zorro" intrigued Olivia with the main character's fast-paced fencing scenes, demonstrating both old and new styles.  With a great deal of time spent indoors, Olivia poured over her DVDs, watching Director's Commentaries and the Special Features portions of her favorite actor's works – including Zorr” and the Shrek series.  Once referred to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Rhode Island, Olivia's wish was never a question – to meet, and possibly fence, with her favorite actor, Antonio Banderas.    

"Olivia! You are so beautiful!" was the first thing Banderas had to say to Olivia as she was wheeled into the room to meet him.  In her true character, she replied, "Thanks – you are too!" With only a few moments of an awe-struck pause, Olivia launched into easy and casual conversation, "just like she was talking to her brother," described Mom Kirsten.  Armed with questions, Olivia inquired about everything from Antonio's fencing abilities and her favorite scenes from his films, to a discussion regarding the book and DVD, "The Secret," based on a theory regarding the universe and the law of attraction as influenced by a positive state of mind.  Olivia was most impressed to learn that Antonio had taken the time to actually learn to fence, rather than simply perform choreographed moves in his films, and Antonio shared with her that he had the opportunity to train with the Spanish Olympic Fencing team while his daughter, Stella, was born in Spain.   

Described as charismatic and by no means pretentious by Olivia's parents, Antonio's kindness and caring nature touched Olivia's heart. He was beyond impressed with her strength and character, and was truly curious about the details regarding Olivia's condition.  He was happy to share with Olivia behind-the-set secrets about some of her favorite scenes, including the one in Zorro where his character's horse was shown drinking vodka and smoking a pipe – as a true gentleman, Antonio prefaced the explanation with an apology to Olivia's parents about the adult content, who he dubbed "Mama and Papa." Antonio graciously autographed Olivia's DVDs, and even her own fencing jacket that her parents are having displayed in a shadow-box at her home.   

The reality of her visit with Antonio hit home when she saw his appearance on "American Idol" – wearing the same jacket he had worn when he hugged her not even weeks before.  

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Rhode Island is grateful to Mr. Antonio Banderas for finding time in his busy schedule to grant Olivia’s greatest wish, and for bringing her moments in time that she and her family will cherish forever.

Cameron's Wish to Meet Air Jordan

Cameron’s wish to meet Michael Jordan was granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Rhode Island. Cameron and his family also got to see the Bulls vs. Mavericks Game at the United Center that same night. Their four day excursion ended with a visit to the John Hancock Observatory, ESPN Zone, Navy Pier and Shedd Aquarium. The family returned Wednesday to the Ocean State with plenty of autographed items including a basketball, jacket, pictures, and even the signature shoe the Nike “Air” Jordan. Cameron will never forget his special trip to meet the Five Time MVP, as he and his idol were captured in plenty of candid and formal snapshots. “This is the first time he has smiled in months,” says Kelly. “And he is smiling in every single picture. Real smiles.”

Brandon's NASCAR Wish

Coventry, RI (July 2005) The Pennsylvania 500 is scheduled for the weekend of July 22-24th, and Wish Kid Brandon wouldn't miss it for the world. The seven year old from Coventry will be making the trek to the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania with his parents and grandmother to see his hero, Jeff Gordon, race the famed No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and even spend some quality time with the racer himself. Brandon's justifies Gordon as his favorite with three reasons: "He's the best driver, he has the best looking car, and he always wins."

The NASCAR Wish falls during the perfect time, as the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America's sponsored racecar just recently participated in the Brumos Porsche 250 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race on Thursday, June 30, at Daytona International Speedway. As part of the Finlay Motorsports team, Michael McDowell and Memo Gidley drove the #19 Make-A-Wish Foundation/Air Force Reserve/ Commercial Defeasance Dinan-powered BMW Riley car, and was seeking to break into the top three after impressive fourth-place finishes at the past two Rolex Series events.