PICKERING – Chris Kotsopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, announced today that the number of children who have been approved to receive their most heartfelt wish has reached 135 in November alone. Mr. Kotsopoulos noted: “Our previous highest month occurred in September this year, when we approved 131 wishes.” The number of children being referred to Children’s Wish has seen a steady increase in recent history.
The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada has never refused a wish to an eligible child in their 26 year history. The cost of these approved wishes is expected to exceed $1 million, placing greater importance on expanding the Foundation’s engagement with volunteers and donors over the holiday season.
“We are very pleased to have such a positive impact on the lives of the children we serve and their families,” commented Kotsopoulos, “and we are confident that, thanks to the support of our donors and volunteers, we will continue to grant exceptional wishes to children and their families across Canada.”
Lyanne Goulin, Director, Wish Granting, said “it is gratifying to witness how so many doctors, nurses and social workers, who regularly refer children to us, have come to agree with what we have firmly believed to be true: the magic of a wish can have an immeasurably beneficial impact on children and their families; and that The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, is second to none in delivering the best possible wishes and creating lasting memories.”
The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada is the country’s only all-Canadian, national wish granting organization with chapter offices in every province. The Foundation relies entirely on the generosity of their donors and volunteers to grant children their wishes. With the demand for wishes at an all-time high, donations through such diverse avenues as The Catalogue of Wishes (www.catalogueofwishes.ca) are crucial to the ongoing success of Children’s Wish in granting the wish of children with a life threatening illness.
The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada
Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Since 1984, The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada has worked tirelessly to grant exceptional wishes to 16,000 children and their families.
This year, the Foundation expects to grant 1,000 new wishes and is proud to have never refused a wish to an eligible child, and with the help of volunteers and generous donors, is able to grant nearly three wishes every day. Each wish is an individual adventure, carefully structured to meet the needs of a particular child and family. The Foundation is a grassroots charity with chapters in every province and territory. Visit www.childrenswish.ca for more information.