Make-A-Wish South Carolina 2017 Wish Ball raises $250,000 for local kids
March 15, 2017
Make-A-Wish® South Carolina celebrated granting wishes at their annual Wish Ball. Event sponsors, attendees, and guests together raised a record $250,000 to grant the wishes of local children.
Held at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center in Columbia, S.C., Make-A-Wish took attendees on an incredible journey through the transformative experience a wish provides to all involved. At the center of the journey was Rob, a wish kid from Denmark, S.C. who recently had his wish to go deep sea fishing granted. Throughout the program, Rob’s wish story was told through virtual and live presentations that wove in the deeply moving and impactful way all lives involved in a wish – donors, volunteers and wish families – are powerfully altered by the experience. Rob himself was a guest speaker along with his parents and wish kid, Amaya, who shared her story of transitioning from wish kid to donor and advocate for Make-A-Wish.
The program also featured a high-energy live auction, the inaugural presentation of the Beth B. Taylor Volunteer of the Year Award to Columbia resident, Dana Miller, and culminated in a live wish reveal for 3-year-old Grayson who learned on-stage that he would be leaving for Walt Disney World® Resort the very next morning. Guests were also able to witness the incredible moment of Wish Kid, Rob receiving a gift live onstage from sponsor, Pure Fishing – a mounted replica of a barracuda he caught while on his wish trip. Rob’s shock and happiness radiated through the crowd leaving everyone feeling the powerful effects of the journey.
The unforgettable gala treated guests to a fantastic cocktail hour complete with a silent auction featuring over 100 high-quality items from S.C. vendors and craftsmen. While bidding on premier items patrons took part in a wine pull or enjoyed a premium wine bar with a sommelier. The evening also provided an elegant seated dinner and dancing to the sounds of The Palmetto Groove Band.
“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 magic; and at the Wish Ball they supported that by choosing to make their legacy one of giving to help South Carolina children with life-threatening medical conditions.” said Bill Tiller, Make-A-Wish South Carolina President and CEO.
Major event sponsors included: Pure Fishing, Trusted Choice, Ball Canning, Newell Brands, Convergent Technologies, Gregory Pest Solutions, Publix Supermarket Charities and Innova Therapeutics.
Enjoy photographs and a video of the evening at http://scwishball.org. We also invite everyone to save the date for next year’s gala: February 24, 2018.
