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Judson's Ft. Lauderdale Wishtrip!
Traveling from
quaint and classic Providence to the beautiful tropics of
Fort Lauderdale, Florida was just what 14-year-old Judson
had dreamed of. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Rhode Island
granted this young boy's wish and Judson spent four days in
the Sunshine state.
Judson
specifically hoped to go to a Haitian Convention in Florida
and that is exactly what he attended. These particular
conventions are a gathering of numerous Haitian churches
that sing and pray in gospel. More than 30,000 guests attend
the meetings and celebrate their love for religion. Judson
and his family had never been to one of these amazing
congregations, which is why he wanted to share his wish with
them. Another reason he wanted to experience the event is
because he loves gospel music. His love for family shines
with his wish and is also evident due to his favorite
television show, Family Life. Judson is a typical New Englander who is a big fan of the
New England Patriots and enjoys indulging in Mac-n-Cheese
while watching his favorite movie, the Pursuit of
Happiness.
Florida was the
ideal wishtrip for Judson to time away from doctor visits
for sickle cell illness. Judson's mom, Gina said, "We had a
great time on the trip! We will continue to pray for
[Make-A-Wish] and we hope more children get to live through
this opportunity." Sharing times with his loved ones while
being in warm weather and surrounded by palm trees was
exactly the type of vacation Judson had hoped for.
Nick's Caribbean Cruise Wish!
Not many
fourteen year-olds get the chance to experience an amazing
Royal Caribbean
cruise vacation - one filled with beautiful scenery,
intriguing people and of course, exciting adventures.
Wishkid Nick from Cranston, RI got his chance, and boy, was
it magical! And Nick, along with his parents and his three
older sisters traveled in style, as a limo picked them up at
their house and brought them directly to TF Green airport so
they could embark on their vacation destination to Orlando,
where the Mariner of the Seas Cruise Ship was docked and
where they were greeted by a Royal Caribbean representative.
Once aboard the vessel, they cruised the Atlantic from
Florida to Haiti, traveling such exotic islands as Ocho
Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, and Cozumel, Mexico
where Nick got the chance to swim with dolphins. Enjoying
sunny skies, delicious food and the many activities aboard
the ship and on the islands, they cruised back to Florida
where a limo met them for their trip back home.
Amber's Disney Dream Comes True!
A special thank you to UnitedHealthcare® for their
sponsorship
Through the efforts of the
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Rhode Island and a corporate
sponsorship from UnitedHealthcare® (UHC), 10 year old Amber
from Coventry, RI had her wish granted! Amber and her
parents and older sister spent a week of fun in the sun at
Walt Disney World® Resort!
Amber enjoyed eating pizza and ice cream
(bubble gum flavor is her favorite!) and meeting Mickey
Mouse just as any 10 year old would; and the entire family
was treated like royalty at Give Kids the World Village, a
special resort where children from wish-granting
organizations all over the world stay during their Disney
Wish trips. Amber even got the chance to be a Princess for a
day when she and her family dined with Snow White, Belle and
Cinderella in a fairytale Norwegian castle at Epcot®.
Amber was referred to the Rhode Island
chapter by her mother over a year ago. At the time, Amber
was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor and the family
was consumed with hospital visits and the special needs
required due to Amber's condition. The family decided to
hold off on traveling to Disney World until Amber gained the
strength to enjoy her wish fully. They chose to visit Disney
World in April, giving them an opportunity to forget about
the medical treatments and focus on the joy of being
together on a family vacation in Sunny Florida.
Make-A-Wish is grateful to UHC for their
support in helping to make Amber's dream come true. As an
expression of thanks, Helen Vallee, Development and
Fundraising Officer at the Rhode Island Chapter presented
Linda Boudreau and Debora Spano both of UHC with a plaque.
Dylan's Wish to go to Disney World
Seven-year old
Dylan from Lincoln loves Mickey Mouse, Disney movies, pizza
and ice cream. So when wish granters Steve and John asked
him what his greatest
wish was, it was no surprise when he replied, "Disney
World!"
Dylan and his
family spent seven sunny days at Walt Disney World,
bringing back magical memories of Sparkleberry Nature Trail,
Universal Studios and Wacky Waterworks.
"The wish trip
was truly magical, there are really no words to describe it.
And we found out that Dylan is a serious rollercoaster
rider!" Said Dylan's mother, Jean.
As he rode the
roller coaster, ate cotton candy and gave a big bear hug to
Mickey, Dylan's thoughts of medical treatments were faraway.
Amidst all the fun activities, Dylan's wish trip to Florida
shined with hope, strength and joy - the very essence that
defines our Foundation.
Hiram's Shopping Spree Wish
When Wishgranters
Polly and Stephanie asked Hiram about his wish of
choice, the fifteen-year-old from Central Falls thought
about the new videogame he'd been eyeing. Alas - a special
shopping spree wish it was! Hiram traveled in style
during his shopping extravaganza in a stretch Limousine.
Hiram has been in and out of Hasbro Children's Hospital for
the past year battling chronic renal disease. Hiram's
physician, Dr. Adam Pallant, pediatric residency director
for Brown University Medical School/Hasbro Children's
Hospital
at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, was thrilled to hear
that Hiram's wish was granted. Knowing all that Hiram has
endured this past year, he knew his wish would give Hiram
the chance to escape from all the medical appointments and
leave his worries of illness behind, if only for a day.
Jewelers for
Children Story
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Wish kid
Elizabeth celebrated her 10th birthday on the
grounds of the "happiest place on Earth" with her
parents and older brother, and even got a special
birthday wish from her favorite Disney character.
During her visit to Disneyworld and the Give Kids
the World Village this past April, Elizabeth's wish
to have Mickey Mouse wish her a happy birthday was
granted as she celebrated alongside her new animated
friends. Elizabeth's mom, Annie, described the trip
through terms familiar to the Foundation, "The
amazing power of a wish is that it actually expands;
multiplying in beautiful layers as it continued to
unfold. The whole experience is extraordinary." An
extraordinary experience that was possible because
of a powerful partnership between the Make-A-Wish
Foundation® of America and the Jewelers for Children
(formerly Jewelers Charity Fund for Children).
 Since
its beginning in 1999, the Wish A State partnership
has dramatically impacted
the lives of 603 children, like Elizabeth, from
the United States. Last June, Jewelers for Children
presented the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America with
a check for $900,000 that allowed them to grant 157
wishes nationwide, which brought their total raised
specifically for the Foundation to $3.5 million.
Jewelers for
Children (JFC) was created by the jewelry and
diamond industry with the mission of raising funds
for charities that primarily benefit children.
Involving retailers, manufacturers, trade
associations and those who provide professional
services to the industry, competing companies unite
on behalf of children in need. To date, JFC has
given nearly $14 million to its charity partners.
 These
funds have been raised through several varying
programs, including The New England Jewelers
Association's "Batteries for Children's Charities"
program, which was established in the spring of 2003
and is unique to the jeweler profession. Used watch
batteries retain a monetary value because they
contain a certain silver content, which caused them
to be shipped to refineries by jewelers for cash.
However, due to the change in regulations regarding
hazardous materials and shipping, the paperwork
required to ship the batteries became a hassle,
leaving them to collect in coffee cans or in boxes
on jewelers' benches. In an effort to protect the
environment, the New England Jeweler's Association
decided to take action and in doing so, raise money
for to contribute to the Jewelers for Children
charity. With help from Bill Atwell at Geib Refining
in Warwick, RI, and continuous promotion through
newsletters and events, and the cooperation of
jewelers in the surrounding area, batteries begun to
collect from all over New England.
According to Sandy Brown of the New England
Jeweler's Association, this specific program has
generated over $3,000 for Jewelers for Children, and
through other contributions and fundraisers from
retail jewelers throughout New England, the program
has raised about $10,000 over a six year period.
On
Saturday, July 23, Mr. Ephraim Doumato from Doumato
Jewelers finally got to meet the child who benefited
from his dedication to children's charities when
Wish child Elizabeth and her family, and Dr. Diana
Hackney, President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish
Foundation® of Rhode Island, visited Doumato
Jewelers in Greenville, RI. A great time was had by
all, and truly demonstrated the power of a wish.
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