A fountain of wishes
Photos by LOREN BENOIT/Press file Coeur d’Alene firefighter Josh Sutherland gives fourth-grader Aidan Jonz a Batman gift at Aidan’s Make-A-Wish Idaho superhero reveal Oct. 17, 2018, at Atlas Elementary School.
Landon Hill, 4, sits atop the sheriff’s bearcat at his Make-A-Wish surprise party on Feb. 6, 2018.
Danika Keyser, 12, center, and her sisters Alex, left, and Rylee share stories about their experience swimming with dolphins while on a Make-A-Wish Foundation Caribbean cruise last October. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
The dreams of nearly 30 North Idaho children, who are suffering from serious and terminal conditions, have been put on hold.
"We have quite a few kids waiting up there," said Jessica Budzianowski, director of development for Make-A-Wish Idaho.
One little girl has been waiting since March 28 of last year.
"These are medically fragile children," Budzianowski said. "They should not be waiting, and that’s why we need the community so much right now."
The wait is so long at this time because Make-A-Wish Idaho only has about 30 volunteers in North Idaho who can help make those dreams come true.
That's what Make-A-Wish Idaho does — it's a nonprofit built on fulfilling the dreams of children and teens who may not otherwise have the chance to go to Disneyland, or spend a day with their heroes, or swim with dolphins.
The wait is also longer than usual because of the increased need for wish-granters and the services and hope they provide. Budzianowski said the foundation usually only has about 10 or 12 wish kids on the wait list.
"The need is growing," she said. "We know that there’s more people who don’t even know about us and they may qualify for a wish."
Every wish requires two wish-granters to fulfill it. This includes getting to know the wish kids and their families, hearing all about what's important to them and taking the proper steps to help accomplish the goals involved in those wishes.
Some kids dream of going on cruises or meeting their favorite athletes. Others, like a few of those listed on Make-A-Wish Idaho's website, want to be a coach for a day, host a food drive for their community or visit Washington, D.C.
Mix It Up, a home gift shop at 513 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene, is offering up its iconic store fountain to become a "fountain of wishes" to help support Make-A-Wish Idaho and help these dreams come to fruition.
Owner Beth Rich Brown said Mix It Up will be parting with the fountain that has been in the rear of the store for more than 10 years to open up space that will be used to feature local artists.
Brown is hosting the Fountain of Wishes Giveaway through Saturday — for every $25 donation patrons give to Make-A-Wish Idaho, they will receive a chance to win the fountain. They'll get a penny with a number on it, with which they can make a wish and toss into the fountain. On Saturday, a lucky penny will be pulled out, the winner will be announced and all the money collected will go to Make-A-Wish Idaho.
"I would like to raise awareness," Brown said. "People come to Mix It Up because they're looking for a gift to make somebody smile. When I read about Make-A-Wish, when these kids have wishes granted, it makes such an impact on them."
Donations can made be made in cash at Mix It Up, checks made payable to Make-A-Wish Idaho, credit card (payment forms filled out at Mix It Up) or visit bit.ly/MixItUp-MakeAWish to donate online.
"It means the world to our Make-A-Wish kids to have a business leader or even schools come together to raise funds," Budzianowski said. "It takes all of us coming together to make this happen."
Budzianowski said Make-A-Wish Idaho, based in Boise, is working on forming a regional council to have more of a presence in the 10 northern counties. She said Coeur d'Alene High School is also doing some fundraising for the wish kids at this time.
"We just are grateful for the community support and welcoming the opportunity to tell our story and grant more wishes," she said.
Info: www.idaho.wish.org