The Make-A-Wish Foundation is an organization that helps young children with life threatening illnesses experience the magic of a wish. In 2011, Make-A-Wish helped a young girl named Abbie-Grace Flohr. Flohr was diagnosed with many serious illnesses throughout her life and has had to stay in the hospital for a full two years, constantly hooked up to IVs. She even had to miss a year of school.
Flohr was seven or eight when she received a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation gave her one of the four wish options: I wish to get, I wish to meet, I wish to go, and I wish to be. Flohr’s wish was to go to Disney. Disney and Make-A-Wish have teamed up to grant almost 100,000 wishes, and the Walt Disney World Resort is the most requested Disney travel destination among wish kids.
“A wish really changes things. It gives the kids something to look forward to. She can always think back at something that she had, but you can’t take it away, and it’s like a magical experience,” said Flohr’s mother, Cheryl Flohr, “It’s an experience that I don’t think most people would understand because you here that ‘oh they went to Disney world.’ It’s not just Disney world, it’s the complete package.”
After Flohr got her wish, she made another wish. Her wish is to give back to Make-A-Wish. Flohr’s goal was to pay back her own wish and another kid’s wish come true. She has raised money for almost the past three years, and has already succeeded with her goal. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 14,200 wishes in just 2014 alone. Every year in December, Macy’s helps the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Macy’s passes out “I Believe” letters for people to fill out, and for every letter completed, Macy’s donates a dollar to Make-A-Wish. This is Macy’s seventh year teaming up with Make-A-Wish.
For two years, Flohr has sent the same blank letter sheets to over seven schools, including Steinbrenner. Math teacher Kristina Gamez encouraged her students to fill out blank letter sheets and send them out to others. Last year alone we helped her reach her goal, Steinbrenner made over a thousand letters.
“It feels really good when I give a gift to Make-A-Wish, because I know another kid’s wish is being granted, so it’s really nice,” said Flohr. “Mentally and physically it really helps, because if a Make-A-Wish kid is going through a tough time, you could go and reflect on their Make-A-Wish.”
“Giving back to Make-A-Wish, I think it’s been like a second wish,” said Mrs. Flohr.
For Flohr, givingback to the Make-A-Wish Foundation has helped her take her mind off of her illnesses as well.
“It’s something positive to focus on instead of the negative,” said Mrs. Flohr.
Flohr not only sends letters in December, but she also attends several Make-A-Wish events like golf tournaments and walks to raise money. Flohr even has her own walk team named the Abbie-Grace’s Miracle Makers. Flohr had the largest team of walkers two years ago.
“The letters are a simple way [to raise money]. You write a letter, it’s one piece of paper so one thing you’re using is your time and the price of one piece of paper and you’re making a difference,” said Mrs. Flohr.
Flohr doesn’t want to stop at raising money for Make-A-Wish. She wishes to become a worker for Make-A-Wish when she grows up
