Make-A-Wish Idaho opening Post Falls office

POST FALLS — Make-A-Wish Idaho will celebrate the grand opening of a new office at 362 N. Herborn Place in Post Falls from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The event is open to the public. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

A regional manager on staff will support wish-granting in the area. Volunteers, board members, regional council members and wish families will also be able to use the space for meetings, wish planning and wish granting. The office will be open to the public.

“We are very excited to have a more visible presence in North Idaho,” Make-A-Wish Idaho President and CEO Janie Best said in a Thursday news release.

"The new office will help us raise awareness of our mission and the kids we serve," she said. "We believe that wishes are an important part of the recovery process. They provide hope and joy, build confidence, decrease anxiety and allow families to have some stress-free time away from treatments and chemotherapy. We hope that North Idaho families with a child battling a critical illness will look to us for extra support during difficult times.”

Make-A-Wish Idaho granted nearly 130 wishes during its most recent fiscal year, a more than 30% increase over last year’s wish total. This increase was due, in part, to pandemic-related delays, as well as the state’s growing population. The organization expects to grant a similar number of wishes due to an unprecedented increase in wish referrals. The new location will help Make-A-Wish Idaho to better serve the area and to complete its mission to grant every eligible wish in the state of Idaho.

Make-A-Wish Idaho grants wishes to Idaho children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich their human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Make-A-Wish Idaho has its home office in Boise, as well as a satellite office in Pocatello. With the addition of a Post Falls office, the organization will have representatives in the three most populous areas of the state.