World Wish Day is a global celebration of wish granting. Wish-granting celebrations and events will take place in the 48 countries. World Wish Day celebrates the day that sparked a global wish-granting movement.
Origin
Seven-year-old Chris Greicius' wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix, Arizona by volunteers on April 29, 1980. Chris had leukemia.
Law enforcement officers heard about Chris' wish to be a police officer wanted to help. A police helicopter flew him to the Arizona Department of Public Safety headquarters for a tour, a ride in a patrol car and a ceremony making him the first (and only) honorary state patrolman in Arizona history. They also presented him a custom-tailored uniform, motorcycle helmet, campaign hat and the motorcycle wings he earned on his own battery-powered bike. Many of those responsible for fulfilling Chris' wish wanted to do the same for other children with life- threatening medical conditions and founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation later in 1980. The Foundation is now one of the world's leading children's charities with the help of generous donors and more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 310,000 wishes globally since 1980.
Each year, Make-A-Wish grants nearly 14,000 life-changing wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. These wish experiences can be pivot points in the course of a child’s treatment, making them feel better and in some cases, even help them get better. A wish-come-true strengthens families, provides moments of happiness and inspiration, and helps create strong community bonds.
Nearly 75 percent of wishes require air travel, making it a critical — and costly — resource. In fact, approximately 50,000 airline tickets, the equivalent of 2.5 billion airlines miles or $37.5 million, are needed each year to get wish kids and their families to and from these incredible experiences.