Cody’s Wish Story
Cody, 18, Wilsonville
Wish: to have two Blazers 2008-09 season tickets
At Opening Night of the Portland Trail Blazers 2008-09 season, 18-year-old Cody, of Wilsonville, experienced his wish-come-true for two season tickets to this year’s home games. Cody qualifies for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon because he suffers from a life-threatening medical condition, osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer.
Chemotherapy treatments, surgeries and weeks spent in the hospital have taken Cody away from his favorite pastime of playing basketball. Playing hoops since the 5th grade with the same group of buddies, this Blazermaniac wished to watch this season from his own two seats at the Rose Garden arena, bringing a friend to each game.
The day before Opening Night, Cody was invited to watch the Portland Trail Blazers practice session at their training facility in Tualatin. After practice, Coach Nate McMillan and the team surprised Cody with two Lexus Club Level season tickets for the entire 2008-09 season. The Portland Trail Blazers generously donated these tickets to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® for Cody’s wish. The Foundation also presented Cody with a Make-A-Wish® basketball jersey with his last name and favorite number, 23, on the back. And, that wasn’t even his actual wish day…
Cody’s wish began on Trail Blazers Opening Night – also Halloween – with a limo transporting him and his basketball buddies from his home to a pre-game wish party at Buffalo Wild Wings in downtown Portland. Friends, family and Make-A-Wish® volunteers celebrated with this Trail Blazers fanatic, as the Buffalo Wild Wings crew donated dinner and treated the group as special guests.
When Cody arrived to the arena, he entered through the player’s entrance and was welcomed by Trail Blazers alumni Jerome Kersey and Dale Schlueter, and team mascot Blaze. Cody was treated to a tour of the Lexus Club Level by Jerome and Dale, as well as an introduction to his seats for the season. After the tour, Cody was shown to the box suite donated by the Trail Blazers for the night where all his friends were waiting. After joining his friends, Cody took a seat front and center to watch the final minutes of warm-up. In the end, the Trail Blazers won by one point in a very close game—a great way to start the season!
Check out the Trail Blazers blog after Cody’s ticket presentation.
Here’s KATU’s story that ran about Cody’s wish.
