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Fast Facts
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The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1980. The largest wish-granting organization in the world, the Foundation has granted the wishes of more than 161,000 children with life-threatening medical conditions nationwide.
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The Make-A-Wish Foundation relies on the grassroots support of more than 25,000 volunteers to deliver the organization's mission. Volunteers serve Make-A-Wish chapters in a variety of capacities, including wish granting, office administrative support, special event planning and coordinating, fundraising and much more.
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To qualify for a wish, the child must be older than 2 1/2 years old and younger than 18 (at the time of referral) and must not have received a wish from another wish-granting organization. A child can be referred to the Make-A-Wish Foundation by a parent or guardian, a medical professional, or by the child.
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Following referral, a physician must certify that the child has a life-threatening medical condition. There are no other qualifications based on sex, race, religion, socioeconomic status or any other demographic category.
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Typically children's wishes fall into four categories: To Be (e.g., a zookeeper, a firefighter, a baker), To Meet (e.g., a favorite celebrity or athlete), To Have (e.g., a computer, a playhouse, a puppy), or To Go (e.g., to a theme park, Hawaii, a major sporting event).
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In fiscal year 2007, the Foundation granted 13,006 wishes, the most ever in its 27-year history. Nearly 42 percent of the wishes were for visits to a Disney theme park, followed by 19.1 percent for travel-related wishes, 10.9 percent for shopping sprees, 8.7 percent for computers/electronics, and 6.1 percent for celebrity-related wishes.
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The Central and Western North Carolina Chapter was founded in 1985 by Dr. Jerry Clark in Greensboro, NC, in honor of his wife Charlotte. The chapter covers 51 counties from Alamance county west. We have never turned down the wish of an eligible child.
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