Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington

⭐HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!⭐ Happy SEVENTH anniversary to our Senior Manager, Medical Outreach & Strategic Initiatives, Austin! Austin's work is key in our wish referral process, how we identify children who are eligible for a wish. “My favorite part about working at Make-A-Wish is that every day, the whole point is joy. Everything we do is geared toward bringing joy to people who really need it, and you just don’t find that anywhere else. Make-A-Wish is so unique in that way.” Thank you, Austin, for all that you do to make more wishes possible for children in our community! Join us in celebrating Austin on his seven years with us!

ALASKA! Join Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington for happy hour with a purpose. Connect with the local community, taste local beer, wine, cider and canned cocktails. Engage in our mystery gift card game, enjoy the excitement of a wine pull, and be inspired by the story of wish alum, Krystin. ⭐ Happiness Hour: Anchorage is on October 5th. Seats are filling fast—don't miss out. Secure your spot now at https://lnkd.in/gYpxWh3A

Wishes only have liftoff because of people and partners like our friends in the airline industry. Today is National Aviation Day, and we’re celebrating our amazing airline partners: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. We know that wish trips change lives – thank you for going above and beyond to bring the joy of travel wishes to our wish kids by providing the gift of flights. Have airline miles that are about to expire? Donate them to us at https://lnkd.in/gAFFiEem and help us book trips that transform! ✈️

CALLING ALL HEROES! 🦸♂️⭐ Join the community of heroes among us at our annual Wish Heroes luncheon on October 11. You won't want to miss this as we’re serving up time together + inspiration. Bring your friends, teams, and colleagues to connect in-person and enjoy a catered meal that doesn’t come out of a box or microwave. Seats are limited! RSVP by September 27 at wish.org/akwa/rsvp

ICYMI! Our very own wish kid Seton has a cameo in the newly released Julio Rodríguez's documentary, "The J-Rod Show." ⚾⭐ Starting August 16, "The J-Rod Show" will be available for streaming on YouTube and Tubi. This is a must-see!

⭐HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! ⭐ Today we are celebrating our Multimedia & Creative Manager, Andi, who is celebrating FIVE years at Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington! Andi is the creative genius who helps us bring the joy of a wish come true to life! But that's not all—Andi is also a cornerstone of our DEI Taskforce, driving our chapter's mission to foster a community where inclusion and diversity are at the heart of every wish granted. “Wishes impact all of us. Wishes show that love, care, and hope can be shared with so many people — not just a kiddo or their family, but our entire community,” shares Andi. “It brings me a lot of pride to help make my corner of the world a little bit better place.” Join us in celebrating Andi’s five-year milestone at Make-A-Wish! Your passion and dedication are truly inspiring. Thank you for all that you do, Andi! 🎉

⭐WISH GRANTED⭐ Turning 15 is a big deal for any teen, but it was especially important to Jacqueline because of her culture. That's why she wished for a quincenara. From the sparkling tiara to a stunning pink gown, every detail of her special day was unforgettable. 🌸✨ “I want to do something as a big fun thing to celebrate another year of life that I thought I would never get,” said Jacqueline. “As a cancer patient, you never know what could happen. A lot of things could go wrong.” Her wish helped her stay strong, hopeful. We’re extending a heartfelt thanks to everyone who made Jaqueline’s magical day possible for helping us create memories that will last a lifetime: Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, Tolo Events LLC, The Sweet Side Bakery, Catalyst Presents, Moda 2000, Luke Cruise (DJ), Molly Morovick for dance lessons, Minjiia Xu Photography and Yu Chen Hou Photography. ⭐

Interns are like gold, but they’re priceless to us. Join us in extending gratitude for our rockstar summer interns, whose help makes a big difference for wish kids AND for our staff. Leave your kudos in the comments, and we’ll pass them along! ⭐ Nicole ⭐ Alexa ⭐ Sophia ⭐ Mercy ⭐ Anahi ⭐ Sidd Do you know someone who’d be an incredible intern? Let us know.

⭐ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! ⭐ Seven years and going strong -- Brook is rock’n it as our Senior Wish & Advancement Coordinator in Alaska! When reflecting about why she loves working at Make-A-Wish, Brook shared, “It’s the community. I am constantly in awe of what our community does and continues to do to make wishes happen for our wish kids and their families. We truly get to see the best of people and that is such a joy to get to see every day.” Help us shout praises to Brook, who makes life-changing wishes possible for local children and for countless kids who wish to visit the beautiful state of Alaska!

⭐HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ALERT! ⭐ Help us celebrate Shelby, who’s been our stellar Alaska Wish Support Coordinator for TWO YEARS! When asked to reflect on her time at Make-A-Wish, Shelby shared this favorite memory: “Not long after I started, I got to go on a shopping spree wish with a local boy. He came with a list of everything he wanted to get -- in order of importance. He had lots of money to spend on himself, but in the top five of his list were items for his family. To see the pure happiness on his face when I told him he could buy things for his family was just amazing. He told me that his sickness wasn’t just hard for him, but also for his entire family. So he wanted to give back to them and share in his happiness. The smiles on mom’s face as well as the wish kid and his sibling will always stay with me.” Thank you, Shelby, for all that you do for our chapter and this caring community! 🎉🎈