March is Children's #WishMonth

Help us make heartfelt wishes come true by donating at ChildrensWish.ca/wishmonth

TORONTO, March 1, 2017 /CNW/ - Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is kicking off #WishMonth with activities planned nationally beginning March 1^st. Children's #WishMonth is dedicated to celebrating the joy that being granted their wish brings to children who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Canadians can participate in #WishMonth events in cities across the country and help make heartfelt wishes come true by donating today at childrenswish.ca/wishmonth.  

MAKING AN IMPACT
We are proud to share the 2017 Children's Wish Impact Study, which reveals how our heartfelt wishes are transformational and of meaningful and measurable value to wish children and their families.

Wishes have a positive and lasting impact on wish children and their families, beyond the experience of the actual wish. Wishes help to aid the overall healing process, provide a distraction that helps children cope with the emotional and physical stress of treatment, improve family cohesion, and inspire wish children in long-lasting ways.

• Impact on Emotions – 31% of parents surveyed rate their child's happiness level as "very high" before the wish. This rating jumps to 57% during the planning of the wish, and 94% after the wish has been completed
• Impact on Distraction – 96% of parents surveyed agree that the planning of the wish, and even memories of the wish, provided a distraction from their child's treatment or illness
• Physical Impact – 93% of parents surveyed agree that the wish was an essential part of the child's healing or treatment. The experience and planning of the wish increases the energy levels of most pediatric patients; in addition, their level of physical activity engagement is significantly higher after a wish.
• Lasting Impact - 91% of wish parents agree that their wish experience has influenced their child's future and/ or life goals. 100% of parents surveyed agree that the wish provided positive changes to the family that are long lasting.

"There is nothing quite like seeing the joy that a child experiences when their most heartfelt wish comes true," said Chris Kotsopoulos , CEO, Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. "We are very proud to be able to grant nearly 1200 wishes across Canada each year. With 2236 wishes still to be granted nationally, we look to Canadians to help make even more heartfelt wishes come true by donating this #WishMonth at childrenswish.ca."

EVENTS ACROSS CANADA
#WishMonth activities will be taking place in cities across Canada.  You can find out what's happening where you live here. A few to look out for include:

• On March 1, major landmarks across the country will light up blue in honour of Children's Wish Month. Participating landmarks include Science World (BC), Calgary Tower (AB), CN Tower (ON), Montreal City Hall (QC) and the St. John's Confederation Building (NL).
• BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec residents can text BLUEWISH to 80100 to donate $5, $10, or $20 to Children's Wish, and Blue Cross will match donations, up to a total of $25,000 within these four provinces.

MAKING HEARTFELT WISHES COME TRUE
Children's Wish Foundation of Canada grants approximately 1200 heartfelt wishes each year – that's approximately 3 per day! Did you know:

• Travel wishes are the most popular wish – representing 65% of wishes in a typical year (item wishes approximately 30%; celebrity 5%)
• Disney World is the most popular wish destination – representing over a quarter of all wishes granted in a typical year
• The average wish trip is booked 105 days in advance, but in 2016 rush trips were booked in as few as 12 hours prior to departure
• For 28 years Blue Cross in Canada has provided free travel insurance to Children's Wish families – that's more than 13,000 wishes!
• 139 hospitals and clinics treated wish children over the last year
• 1239 health care professionals referred our wishes last year
• Wishes were granted to children from 557 Canadian cities and towns last year
• 5.023 family members were included in wishes granted last year
• Wish children have flown to 172 cities around the world

For more information about Children's Wish Foundation or to help make heartfelt wishes come true, please visit childrenswish.ca.

About Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
Children's Wish is the largest all-Canadian wish granting charity, dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.  For more than 30 years, Children's Wish has worked tirelessly to grant heartfelt wishes to nearly 25,000 children and their families.Last year we granted nearly 1200 wishes, our largest wish granting year in our 32 year history. With the help of our generous donors and volunteers, we will continue to meet the increasing need of Canadian children to realize their single-most heartfelt wish. Children's Wish grants approximately three wishes each and every day, all year long. Each wish is carefully structured to meet the particular needs of the child and their family.

We continue to receive strong wish referral support through our medical community relationships to grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses. Now more than ever, we are encouraging Canadians to donate and support The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada to help us continue to grant the next most heartfelt wish. Children's Wish is a national charity with chapters in every province and territory. Visit www.childrenswish.ca for more information and to donate.

SOURCE The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada

For media inquiries, please contact: Jill Kenney, [email protected], 778.837.1122