March is Children's #WishMonth

The Children's Wish Foundation (CNW Group/The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada)

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

TORONTO, March 2, 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.  

"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 were lit 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).
• Quebec residents can text BLUEWISH3 to 80100 to donate $5, $10, or $20 to Children's Wish, and Croix Bleue /Blue Cross will match donations, up to a total of $2,500.

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
• 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
• Croix Bleue/Blue Cross plans in Canada provide free travel insurance to Children's Wish families

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

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 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/wishmonth 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

Related Links

http://www.childrenswish.ca