Nine-year-old Connor, of West Linn, was granted his most heartfelt wish this spring.  Connor’s wish was to go visit his best friend, Caleb, in Arizona.  Connor qualified to receive a wish because he has hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that started before he was born when he suffered from an in-utero stroke.  The condition causes Connor to have seizures and limited use of his right arm and leg. 

Connor’s wish to visit his best friend, Caleb, came as no surprise to his parents.  The families met several years ago 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 Phoenix two and a half years ago and has continued to stay in touch. 

Connor is a shy little guy and is described by his wish-granting volunteers as a kid with “a big smile who is so sweet.” He was very excited to reunite with Caleb so they could “play kickball together.” Not only did they do just that, they also attended baseball spring training, went to the zoo, visited the science museum, and just hung out together like old pals do.

In lieu of a Christmas gift, Kadel’s Auto Body made a significant donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon in honor of its clients and partners and therefore was able to adopt Connor’s wish. 

Online Charity Auction

Star-studded experiences and fun-filled travel packages highlight Destination JoySM presented by LAY’S Online Charity Auction. Filled with items rarely available to the public, the auction opened May 14 and bidding will officially end on June 14. Eighty percent of the funds raised through the auction will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and its chapters nationwide to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.  Visit www.wish.org/auction to bid today! 

This auction is a part of Destination JoySM presented by LAY’S, the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s first-ever national campaign showing people everywhere that we all have the power to grant a wish.

The Destination Joy campaign will inspire and empower Americans to share their much-needed time, talents and resources to grant the wishes of the 100,000 children who will be diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions over the next four years. The campaign will launch on June 5 with 10 days of fun-filled national media opportunities and celebrity appearances.  Visit the Destination Joy home page to learn the seven ways you can help share the power of a wish.

Dedicated Volunteer Receives Regional Award

Kelly Park, a longtime volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon, was recently selected as the Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO) Crystal Awards Starbright Volunteer.  Kelly began volunteering for the Foundation when she was in college at UCLA.  As a “Bruin Belle,” she was assigned volunteer hours and chose Make-A-Wish.  She’s been helping make wishes come true ever since, even when moving from LA to Oregon. 

Kelly volunteers in the office for the development department making cards, folding and stuffing letters or filing, often thankless tasks.  Outside of the office, Kelly shares the story of Make-A-Wish at various fundraising events and fairs, such as KUPL’s CountryFest, IBM’s charitable giving fair, and Boeing’s giving day.  Additionally, Kelly represents the Foundation at Our Children’s Store meetings, and has involved her company, Ben Bridge Jewelers, with granting wishes. 

The Foundation would like to congratulate Kelly for the WVDO Crystal Award and thank her for the ongoing volunteerism in the development department.