An Instructional Design learning presentation for the Make-A-Wish Foundation beginnings, goals and mission of the non-profit organization.

2. Module (1)
At the end of this Module, the learner will be able to present the inspiration, philosophy and
mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation with 95% accuracy prior to meeting with families.
The motivation behind this presentation is to build the learners’ confidence and general
knowledge if they need to discuss information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation to the
children and their families.
Presentation will include:
 History
 Inspirational stories
 Philosophy and mission
 Quotes
 Statistics
 Videos
 A quiz will follow the presentation.
 To move onto Module (2) you must
score a 95% or higher.
 Take notes as needed.

3. How It All Started
The Chris Greicius Story
Christopher, age 7, smiling in his official police uniform (April, 1980)

4. Beginning of a Foundation
From the time Officer Frank Shankwitz and Officer Scott Stahl land in Chicago to when
they leave again, word spreads of Chris’ story, and they were amazed at how strangers
were affected by its impact. They talked on the flight home about making this the
beginning of something wonderful for children.
Meanwhile in Phoenix, similar discussions were taking place. At an officer's retirement
party, co-founder Shankwitz talked to Kathy McMorris, the wife of a Department of Public
Safety (DPS) officer, about creating a wish-granting organization. That summer, a group of
working-class DPS officers, friends and family gathered together. That meeting marked
the beginning of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

5. Beginning of a Foundation
May 8, 1980: The first individual donation of $15 was given to Shankwitz by the manager of Smitty’s
Supermarket in Tempe, AZ. For a month, records, bills and change were kept in envelopes and carried
around by its founders. By the following spring, the group had raised $2000 and was able to grant its first
official wish.
July 1980: Some of the founders gather at the home of co-founder Allan Schmidt to elect a board of
directors for the Chris Greicius Make-A-Wish Memorial, Inc.
The first board consists of:
• President: Frank Shankwitz
• Vice President: Scott Stahl
• Secretary-Treasurer: Kathy McMorris
• Members: Allan Schmidt, Lynn Bergendahl
October 20, 1980: Articles of incorporation were filed
November 1980: The group received its tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization
January 7, 1981: The Arizona Corporation Commission certified the filing

6. “He was only seven years, 269 days old when he died. But he
taught me about being a man. Even though he was only a boy. I
can tell you that because of meeting Chris, I am an entirely
different man. Ron Cox said the same thing. He said he didn’t fear
death anymore, because he knew Chris would be there waiting for
him.”
- Tommy Austin, Make-A-Wish®
co-founder and retired U.S. Customs agent

7. The First Wish KidFrank “Bobsy” Salazar was 7 years old and diagnosed with Leukemia (just like Chris)
Shankwitz was president of Make-A-Wish at the time and decided to grant Frank “Bopsy”
Salazar all three of his wishes: to be a fireman, to go to Disneyland and to ride in a hot air
balloon. The magical relationship Make-A-Wish has formed with Disney® on a global scale
began with Frank "Bopsy" Salazar.
In April 1981, The Phoenix Fire Department gave Bopsy an experience similar to Chris’ wish;
Bopsy became a member of the Engine 9 crew. Since Bopsy’s first wish was also the first
Disney wish, the Anaheim Fire Department picked up Bopsy and his family and took them to
Disneyland. Shankwitz kept the first “wish kid art,” a picture that Bopsy drew him, on which
he wrote, “Poncho (Frank in Spanish), I got to blow the siren.”
Upon returning home, Bopsy went into the hospital. His physician, Dr. Paul Baranko, was
surprised at hearing a commotion coming from the boy’s room, so he went in and saw
firemen climbing in through the third-story window off the fire engine ladder! Bopsy passed
that night.
Frank “Bobsy” Salazar, the first
official Make-A-Wish® kid

8. “As his mother, it was very meaningful to
me that people who didn’t know us stepped
forward to be in Bopsy’s life.”
- Nance Octaviana Trujillo,
mom of Bopsy

9. Inspiring a Nation
In January 1982, the television show NBC Magazine sent a reporter to do a story about this small, new
charity that was granting wishes to children fighting for their lives.
As millions of viewers across the country saw the piece, DPS telephone lines were jammed with calls from
people who wanted to be part of it. The new organization wasn’t positioned to harness the explosive
enthusiasm. But its founders were undaunted by the challenges and were determined to succeed.
Under the leadership of Jack Stanford, the Make-A-Wish Foundation was incorporated in May of
1983. More chapters then opened across the nation. Make-A-Wish America grants the wishes of
children in the United States through its 62 chapters.

10. “The calls flooded the system ... The same
thing happened the next hour, and the next,
as the piece ran in different time zones. And
things started to happen like crazy.”
- Allan Schmidt, Make-A-Wish co-founder,
in response to the 1982 NBC Magazine piece that drove early growth

11. Wishes are more than just a nice thing…

12. “We grant the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions to
enrich the human experience with hope,
strength and joy.”
- Make-A-Wish mission statement

13. Our Mission
A wish experience can be a game-changer for a child with a life-threatening medical condition.
This one belief guides us in everything we do at Make-A-Wish®. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives
of the kids we serve. It compels us to be creative in exceeding the expectations of every wish kid. It drives us to
make our donated resources go as far as possible.
Most of all, it's the founding principle of our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.
Wishes are more than just a nice thing. And they are far more than gifts, or singular events in time. Wishes impact
everyone involved - wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. The impact
varies. For wish kids, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their
medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still others might realize all they
have to offer the world is through volunteer work or philanthropy.
Whatever the odds, whatever the obstacles ... wishes find a way to make the world better.

14. Types of Wishes Granted
I wish to go…
I wish to meet…
I wish to be…
I wish to have…

15. How We Grant Wishes
Step 1: Referral
We rely on medical professionals, parents and children themselves for referrals. Children who have
reached the age of 2½ and are under the age of 18 at the time of referral – and have not received a wish
from another wish-granting organization – may be eligible for a wish.
Step 2: Medical Eligibility
We determine a child’s medical eligibility with the help of the treating physician. To receive a wish, the
child must be diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition (i.e., a progressive, degenerative or
malignant condition that has placed the child’s life in jeopardy).
Step 3: The Wish
We send one of our enthusiastic wish team members to learn the child’s one true wish. These committed
volunteers connect with wish children, awaken their imaginations and help them envision an experience
with the power to change lives.
Step 4: Creating Joy
Our wish granters create an unforgettable experience driven by the child’s creativity.
They strive to personalize each wish and to make it match the wish kid's idea of a perfect day.

16. How We Grant Wishes
Get Started
To learn more about referring a child who lives in the United States or one of its
territories, you may use our Referral Inquiry Form.

17. “It's been more than 30 years since my son
Chris received his wish, and I am still amazed
and inspired how one little boy's dream to be
a policeman has touched the lives of so many
thousands of people.”
- Linda Pauling, mother of Chris, the boy whose wish inspired
the founding of Make-A-Wish

18. Please Proceed to the Quiz
If hyperlink doesn’t work, please copy and paste this link into your web browser:
http://bit.ly/2nZsVG4
To move onto Module (2) you must score a 95% or higher.
GOOD LUCK!

19. LinkedIn. (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13024?pathWildcard=13024
Make-A-Wish America. (2006). Retrieved from http://wish.org
Make-A-Wish America, Key Facts and Figures (FY 2016) http://bit.ly/2pZmkPp
Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. (2006). Retrieved from
http://cnfl.wish.org/about-us
Resources