Ways You Can Help Local Kids Whose Make-a-Wish Dreams Are On Hold Because of Covid-19

ALEXANDRIA, VA – As a result of the continued public and medical concerns regarding COVID-19, Make-A-Wish^® Mid-Atlantic is facing a record number of local wishes waiting to be granted. As 90% of local wishes involve travel or large group settings, 28 local wishes have already been postponed indefinitely and another 30 wishes per month are expected to be affected as the situation continues.

As Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic focuses on the wishes it can safely grant at this time, there are several ways the community can have an impact on wishes that have been postponed or are waiting. Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic is excited to offer several options for community members looking to support the hundreds of local children waiting for their wish to be granted.

WALK FOR WISHES GOES VIRTUAL

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic is changing their annual Walk For Wishes^® into a virtual event for anyone to join from the comfort of their homes- the perfect solution for families looking to stay active at home while practicing social distancing! Participants can register online at WalkForWishesDC.org and are invited to tune in on April 11 for live programming featuring local wish kids, exercise classes and more! A Virtual Participation Guide is also available online to plan fun activities for families in the days leading up to the virtual event.

Make-A-Wish also recently announced its “Messages of Hope” campaign to give supporters a fun, easy way to spread encouragement to children with critical illnesses without needing to leave the house.

YOU CAN HELP SPREAD HOPE ON SOCIAL

Make-A-Wish invites the public to join Ryan Reynolds, Redskins player Jonathan Allen, local media personalities, wish kids and more to spread hope and anticipation on social media.Through written messages, videos and photographs, anyone can send Messages of Hope to local kids whose wishes were impacted by COVID-19.

Members of the public can post their message to any social media channel along with the tag, @WishMidAtlantic, and the hashtag, #WishesAreWaiting. Two or more friends should also be tagged and challenged because the more messages shared, the greater impact on wish kids and their families.

FASTEST HELP–DIRECT DONATION

To make the most immediate difference, anyone can make a 100% tax-deductible donation at midatlantic.wish.org. Donations and other funds raised will help prepare Make-A-Wish to grant the wishes that have been affected by COVID-19 postponements as well as the hundreds of wishes still waiting once these circumstances have passed.

About Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic
Make-A-Wish^® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic serves children who reside in the District of Columbia, Maryland and northern Virginia. Founded in 1983, the Mid-Atlantic chapter has granted 10,000 wishes in the Mid-Atlantic region since its inception. Wish kids face any number of critical illnesses such as cancer, pediatric AIDS, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Duchene’s muscular dystrophy, kidney and heart disease. This year alone, 840 local children are expected to be diagnosed with a critical illness. However, for every wish granted, at least one more local child is waiting. The community has the opportunity to make an impact today by helping Make-A-Wish close the gap between wishes that are granted and those that are still waiting. For more information, please visit: www.midatlantic.wish.org.

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