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SportsCenter ‘My Wish’ Series Returns July 5-9

ESPN to Chronicle Five Children’s Unique Sports-Themed Experiences Granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation®

For the fourth straight year, ESPN will present its critically acclaimed SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series, which chronicles sports-themed wishes granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Stephanie Druley, senior coordinating producer, ESPN, and David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer, announced today that the series will air Sunday, July 5, through Thursday, July 9.

The series, presented by ESPN, is sponsored by The Walt Disney Company. As part of the series, ESPN will help grant sports-related wishes with leading sports figures to five children referred through the world’s largest wish-granting charity, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Each wish will be the subject of one SportsCenter feature segment.

Similar to previous years, the SportsCenter segment will feature the story behind the wish, interviews with the youngsters and their families and a behind-the-scenes look at the wish fulfilled, including the interaction between each child and his or her favorite athlete. Emmy Award-winning reporter Chris Connelly will again host, and each SportsCenter “My Wish” segment will be taped. (Editor’s note: additional details of the participating athletes and wish kids will be announced later this week.)

“Sports have a unique way of connecting people to one another, from athlete to fan, and the ‘My Wish’ series continues to share that bond through one-of-a-kind experiences and stories,” Druley said. “The feedback from participants and viewers has been extremely positive year after year and we find that there are always more compelling stories to be told.” 

“The ‘My Wish’ series has generated incredible interest in the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission during the past three years,” Williams said. “The stories genuinely reflect what Wish children experience every day – from the daunting challenges of a life-threatening medical condition to the unforgettable joy of having their heartfelt wishes granted. We truly appreciate the support of ESPN, The Walt Disney Company and the athletes who give their time to make the children’s wishes such amazing moments.”
ESPN.com will offer additional and complementary content related to the five wish-granting experiences.

With more than 20 original episodes in three years, “My Wish” has offered an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the wish-granting experience and featured the wish children participating in sports-related activities with their favorite athletes or teams, including:  Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Todd Helton, Michelle Kwan, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Tedy Bruschi and NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation
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. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers 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 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 177,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.

Team ESPN
Team ESPN encompasses ESPN’s multi-faceted corporate outreach initiatives, including volunteerism, corporate giving and cause marketing, while utilizing its diverse media assets.  Through Team ESPN, ESPN employees and fans work together to make a difference in our world and the communities in which we live.  Team ESPN… Fans Helping Fans.  www.teamespn.com

About Disney Wishes
The Walt Disney Company works globally with children’s wish-granting organizations around the world to make Disney wishes come true fulfilling over 7,000 wishes annually for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Disney-themed wishes continue to be the most popular requests, including visits to Disney Parks, Disney Cruises, meeting Disney Characters, attending sporting events and visiting TV and movie sets.  For more information on Disney’s outreach efforts, please visit www.DisneyOutreach.com

Media Contacts:
ESPN – Kim Jessup at (407) 566-2175 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Make-A-Wish Foundation – Brent Goodrich at (602) 279-9474, ext. 5210 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.