Make-A-Wish Beginnings
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America was founded in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. It all began because of the simple dream of a boy named Chris. A small group of people helped this very ill little boy achieve his wish to be a state trooper for a day.
Since then, The Make-A-Wish Foundation® has grown into the largest professional wish granting organization in the world with 67 chapters in the U.S. and several international locations. To date, the foundation has granted more than 174,000 wishes worldwide.
Our Chapter’s History
In 1983, a group of individuals from the Cleveland area petitioned the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America to start a chapter in Cleveland, Ohio. We received a charter that year, establishing our chapter as the eleventh formed by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Our territory was defined as the 13 contiguous counties in the northeastern part of the state.
In January of 1984, we granted our first wish. Six-year-old George wished to go to Walt Disney World, starting a long tradition of magical Disney memories. Days before George's wish came true, his mother wrote:
"Words cannot express my regard for your efforts and concern. Keep doing what you do - there will be other after George to whom you will provide a great deal of happiness despite their daily heartbreak.
video about George's Wish
In that first year of operation, the chapter managed to grant the wishes of 12 children. Since then, we have granted over 7,300 wishes for children and families all over Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
In the late 1990's our chapter began an extended period of growth. A regional office was opened in Columbus during 1997, followed by Cincinnati in 1998. We welcomed the State of Kentucky in 2001 with an office opening in Louisville. To better serve the children of Kentucky, a satellite office was opening in Lexington in 2005. Similarly, a satellite office was opened in Youngstown the following year.
In 2005, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America encouraged a merger with the neighboring Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Indiana, a chapter founded in Indianapolis with history dating back as far as our own - 1983. The union resulted in our current organization, which involves an operating territory with the highest regional population (22,000,000+) and the largest number of eligible wish children (currently 1,700+) of any chapter.
The Future
In the coming year the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Greater Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana will gain an even larger geographic footprint due to a planned merger with the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Northwest Ohio. Along with that merger, another name change: the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. So after 12 continuous years of growth our name will finally be getting smaller.
