Make-A-Wish® South Carolina granted a Wish LIVE at The Wish Ball
March 5, 2019
On February 23, 2019, Make-A-Wish® South Carolina celebrated granting wishes at their sixth annual Wish Ball. Event sponsors, attendees, and guests together raised a record of more than $271,000 to grant the wishes of local children.
Held at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center, the evening offered guests a cocktail hour where they enjoyed delicious culinary offerings by Southern Way Catering while bidding on premier items.
More than a gala, a dynamic show offered remarkable stories about the life-changing impact wishes have, promising the best is yet to come for wish kids. Led by very special guest emcee, wish kid Manny, the high school sophomore delighted the crowd with his effervescent personality as he shared his own wish story and introduced the highlights of the evening.
Guests discovered the deeply moving and impactful way lives are powerfully altered by following the wish experience of wish kids, Lucy, AJ and Haley, through virtual and live presentations. They also had the pleasure of hearing from Tiffany Rowe, Chair of the Make-A-Wish America National Board Alumni Association. At the Wish Ball, Tiffany happily shared her story with attendees and told how her life has been impacted by a wish.
The highlight of the evening was the on-stage live granting of 10-year-old Jenna’s wish to go on a European cruise. While undergoing treatments for cancer, Jenna wished to be far away. Her wish will empower her to once again feel free to be active. Make-A-Wish, together with our supporters, looks forward to granting her wish, so that Jenna will gain independence and find joy in new adventures. It was a powerful moment as wish dad and SC Board Member, Heyward Hilliard, told the story of his daughter’s wish – also to go on a European cruise – then together with Manny revealed live onstage to Jenna that her wish was coming true.
During the program, an energetic live auction offered guests the chance to bid on amazing items from getaway weekends to a filming experience with the hit television show Live PD generously donated by the Richland County Sherriff’s Department. As the show concluded guests danced the night away to the sounds of GroovCity Entertainment.
“We can’t express enough how grateful we are to our generous benefactors, and to all who donate their time, money and heart to make this event a success. They are the true believers of the transformational power of a wish; and at the Wish Ball they supported that by helping to change the lives of brave South Carolina children with critical illnesses.” said Misty Farmer, Make-A-Wish South Carolina Interim President and CEO.
Major event sponsors included: Trusted Choice, Aflac, Assured Partners, Convergent Technologies, Gregory Pest Solutions, Grow Financial Foundation, Gruen Digital Marketing, Innova Therapeutics, Publix Super Market Charities, and Shakespeare.
Mark your calendars for next year’s event on February 22, 2020. To secure an early sponsorship, contact Mary Silverberg at [email protected] or 843.817.4251. For more information about Make-A-Wish, visit sc.wish.org.
ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH
Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Make-A-Wish South Carolina granted 207 wishes last year, averaging to a wish every forty-eight hours. The chapter receives funding through private donations, individuals, companies and special events. For more information about Make-A-Wish South Carolina, visit sc.wish.org and discover ways you can help make wishes come true.
Photo: Laura Effinger
