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Wish Send-Off Party for Local Boy

Child to depart for his wish-come-true to be reunited with best friend in Arizona

Portland, Ore. –– The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon will host a send-off party for 9-year-old Connor at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7 at the Old Spaghetti Factory (715 SW Bancroft St. in Portland).  Connor and his family depart for Arizona on March 16, where he will reunite with his best friend for a wish-come-true.  This West Linn child is qualified to receive a wish from the Foundation because he has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that started before he was born when he suffered from an in-utero stroke.

Connor’s wish to visit his best friend, Caleb, came as no surprise to his family.  Both families formed a bond several years ago, when they met at an Oregon support group for children that are hemiplegia or stroke victims.  Caleb has a similar condition, so the two created a bond; the families also grew closer because of their mutual understanding of Caleb and Connor’s conditions.  Caleb’s family moved to Arizona two and a half years ago and has continued to stay in touch with Connor’s family.  Connor can’t stop talking about his buddy Caleb and can’t wait “to play kick ball” with him again. 

Connor will be celebrating his wish party on Wednesday night with his two little sisters, parents, and both sets of grandparents, along with his volunteer wish-granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  At the party, Connor will receive some gifts and his “wish itinerary,” when he finds out all the great things he gets to do with Caleb during his wish trip to Arizona.  Some of the activities include visiting the Arizona Science Museum, spending a day at spring training (Seattle Mariners game), and going to the zoo.  A surprise limo will pick up the family on Friday, March 16 at 4:00 a.m. for their departure from PDX at 6:15 a.m.  They return on Tuesday, March 20.

During the month of March, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon is conducting the 12th annual Make a Million for Make-A-Wish campaign, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino.  The goal is to raise one million quarters ($250,000) in Oregon and Southwest Washington to fund wishes like Connor’s.  People can help by visiting www.orwish.org or taking a donation to any U.S. Bank in March.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.  Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 69 chapters in the U.S. and its territories.  With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants more than 12,600 wishes a year and has granted more than 148,000 wishes in the U.S. since inception.

The local chapter serves children, ages 2 ½ through 17, just like Connor, living throughout Oregon and Clark County, Washington.  For more information about the organization, please visit www.orwish.org or call the chapter office at 800-934-WISH to discover how you can share the power of a wish®.
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