Wishline Newsletter Summer 2012 - Make-A

Summer 2012
Volume 27, Number 2
wishline
Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida
A slam dunk Wish!
It was not an ordinary day for Tyler when the Miami native’s wish to become a Miami HEAT broadcaster came
true. As a huge HEAT fan, he usually watches the games on Sun Sports, but this time he got to experience
everything in real life. During his wish, Tyler got to see how the players get ready for a game and all the
logistics it takes to put a game on the air.
Prior to tipoff, Tyler watched courtside as players warmed up. He then went behind the scenes with the Sun
Sports production team and met broadcasters Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino. He learned the ropes on what
their jobs are and how they prepare for games. He also sat in on HEAT Coach Erik Spoelstra’s pre-game
press conference. Then his shining moment came true – he participated in the game broadcast during the 2nd
quarter. During the game, he also visited the production truck and took part in the halftime studio show. After
the buzzer, Tyler conducted the traditional “walk-off” interview with NBA MVP LeBron James.
That wasn’t all. While doing post-game coverage with broadcaster Jason Jackson in the Sun Sports studio,
Tyler met his hero, HEAT Guard Dwyane Wade. His face lit up! D-Wade took pictures with Tyler’s family and
presented him with an autographed jersey and sneakers. Tyler met several other players during his wish and
got a tour of the HEAT locker room with Wade. It was a night to remember!
His mother said, “I don’t see anything topping this. It’s just great.”
Wish Granters: Candace DeLauro & Debbie Friedman
Referred by: Charlamae Brooks, his mother
Wish adopted by: Robert Press, TCA Fund Management Group
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical
conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Visit us on the web at www.sfla.wish.org
CONTACT INFORMATION
Fort Lauderdale Office
4491 South State Road 7, Suite 201
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Ph: 954.967.WISH (9474)
Fax: 954.967.2468
e-mail: info@sfla.wish.org
West Coast Office
3635 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 4
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Ph: 239.992.WISH (9474)
Fax: 239.992.2833
e-mail: swfl@sfla.wish.org
Web Site: www.sfla.wish.org
Norman Wedderburn
President/CEO
nwedderburn@sflawish.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa Bauer, Board Chair,
Royal Caribbean International®
Brett Rose, Chair-Elect,
United National Consumer Suppliers
Kevin Sloan, Chair-Elect Designate
PNC Bank
Dulce Stephens, Treasurer,
Community Volunteer
Alex Adams, Northern Trust
Michael Appleton, Credit Suisse
George Baccash, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Sheila Cesarano, Shutts & Bowen LLP
Jamie Elias, Trivest Partners
Thomas Falciglia, Community Volunteer
Amy Federman, Bacardi-Martini, Inc.
Taylor Gang, Evensky & Katz
Shaheewa Gelin, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security
L. Scott Helms, IDI
Jill Johns, Century 21 Hansen Realty
Michel Koopman, getAbstract inc.
Brian Kosoy, The Sterling Organization
Todd Linden, Advenir, Inc.
Shareef Malnik, The Forge
Dr. Ginger Turnier Medel, MEDNAX
Dr. Frederick V. Miller, Pediatrix Medical Group
Stan Moss, Polen Capital Management
Ryan Munder, Rednum Capital Partners LLC
Michael Ortega, Ortega Construction Company
Mark Peterson, Bank of America, N.A.
Bob Press, TCA Fund Management Group
Greg Salsburg, STIR-Communications
Richard Weissman, The Learning Experience
Jerome Wolf, Duane Morris LLP
Brenda Yester, Carnival Cruise Lines
Like many kids, 5-year-old Dorian
dreamt of meeting his favorite magical
cartoon characters. His wish became
reality and he was off to Walt Disney
World®. He got way more than he could
ever imagine because he also visited
Universal Studios and SeaWorld. Dorian
talked to many enchanting Disney
characters like Mickey Mouse and
Pluto and he met Captain America and
Scooby-Doo. However his unforgettable
experience didn’t stop there as he also
rode lots of thrilling rides and enjoyed
a fun scare in the Haunted Mansion. At
SeaWorld, Dorian got the chance to touch and feel friendly dolphins.
Staying at Give Kids The World Village was another highlight. He
had a blast playing video games in the no-coins-necessary arcade
and feasting on ice cream for breakfast. He felt very special when
the Village’s 6-foot-tall rabbit Mayor Clayton tucked him in at
night. Dorian loved his amazing adventures at Walt Disney World®,
Universal Studios and SeaWorld so much and he will always cherish
his vivid memories.
Wish Granters: Martha Carmen & Frances Garfunkel
Referred by: Denise Bryant, his mother
Wish adopted by: The Henry E. Haller, Jr. Foundation
Twelve-year-old Jessica from Fort
Lauderdale loves the beach and
considers dolphins to be her favorite
animal. Choosing her wish was easy
– she wanted to go to Hawaii. Jessica
and her family explored all the
amazing adventures that Hawaii has
to offer from relaxing on the beautiful
beaches to discovering spectacular
underwater species. Every day was filled with new adventures. She
saw whales, attended an incredible luau, and walked along the sandy
shores. Jessica’s favorite activities in Hawaii were snorkeling and
swimming with dolphins. To be sure that she always has a piece of
Hawaii with her, she took home lots of souvenirs.
Wish Granters: Stacey L. Roberts-Tyrrell & Angela D. Zimmerkahl
Referred by: Lorrie Cram, her mother
Wish adopted by: UnitedHealthcare
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE!
We recognize and thank Give Kids
the World Village for helping
make wishes come true.
Social networking is a wonderful platform for keeping in touch with
us. You can get updates on wishes, special events and more by
connecting with us on these social media sites.
With a love for riding
horses, what could be a
better wish for 17-yearold Toni than to go on a
shopping spree for horse
equipment? The answer is
nothing. Not even living
with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare
bone cancer, would stop
her from continuing to ride.
Since Toni has been riding
horses for years, her dream
was to learn how to ride
Western style, but she wanted the highest quality
equipment. She and her family were picked up
in a limo and taken to Grifs Western. Toni had
nothing but smiles and excitement on her face as
she looked at saddles and tried on everything from
boots to helmets. After selecting all the riding gear
she’s ever wanted, everyone enjoyed a good meal
at Morton’s Steakhouse. This was certainly one of
the best days of her life.
Fourteen-year-old Kay is a
very athletic teenager who
enjoys playing sports and
skateboarding. Her favorite
sport of all is tennis. She
loves watching the matches
on TV and is always looking
forward to seeing her favorite
tennis pros in action. When it
came time for Kay to choose
a wish, she chose to have a
tennis machine. Kay wanted
this machine so that she could
practice and perfect her craft. She describes herself as
“highly competitive” and knew this wish would give
her an edge against her opponents. On her big day,
she was presented with a Playmate tennis machine
at a party packed with her family and friends. Kay
also received a ball mower, tons of tennis balls and
a gift certificate at a sporting goods store so that she
could purchase everything she needs to beat
the competition.
Wish Granters: Jane Hansen & Jennifer O’Connor
Referred by: her Pediatric Associates case manager
Wish adopted by: TooJay’s Gourmet Deli
Wish Granters: Charlie Martin & Karen Mullins
Referred by: Dr. Donna Rhoden, her physician
Wish adopted by: Robert Press, TCA Fund
Management Group
Sixteen-yearold Elijah is a
technology whiz
that loves to
listen to music
and deejay.
By having his
high-tech wish
fulfilled, he was
able to truly
rock out to the beat of his favorite tunes. Elijah
went on a shopping spree at Best Buy where he
bought all of the latest and up-to-date gadgets.
Since he has a passion for music, he bought a
MacBook Mini so he can listen, download and
create his music mixes. Elijah also purchased a
sleek iPad so he can make cool and interesting
websites on the go. In addition, to buying a iPad
and MacBook Mini Elijah also bought a highquality Nikon camera so he can continue taking
captivating and fascinating pictures. Elijah was
thrilled to go on a shopping spree where he did
not have to worry about the cost of the items he
wanted and said, “I really enjoyed the shopping
spree! It was tons of fun!”
Wish Granters: Theresa Curbelo &
Mindy Rennard
Referred by: Terry Cano, his nurse
Wish adopted by: Apple Sauce Inc.
Although 8-year-old
Austin is battling
kidney cancer, he
maintains an energetic
personality and cheery
disposition. He loves
things that “go fast”
like auto racing and
four-wheeling. Austin
also has an incredibly
large collection of LEGO® bricks. One place he always
wanted to go was LEGOLAND® in California so
that’s what he chose for his wish. Austin received a
VIP tour with behind-the-scenes access. He explored
different sections of the park including the Block
of Fame 3-D art gallery of famous people and took
a LEGO® Factory Tour. A master builder built a
LEGO® likeness of Austin, which was placed in a
huge display in the theme park. Austin also rode in
a LEGO® car and got an authentic LEGO® driver’s
license. As mementos of his dream trip, he got a t-shirt
and several new building sets to add to his collection
at home. While there, he and his family also visited
the San Diego Zoo and a water park. His mother said,
“His wish trip was a great time to stop and enjoy each
other.”
Wish Granters: Bob DesJardin & Lisa Herrlich
Referred by: Sheryl Wood, his mother
Wish adopted by: Immuno Laboratories
Six-year-old Eden from Aventura loves her doll collection, princess stories and the
color pink. Eden’s wish was to go on a Disney cruise because she enjoys cruises and
is fascinated with Disney characters. Her five-day voyage was filled with fantastic
photo opportunities with her favorite Disney characters, lots of food and plenty of
time to spend in the pool.
Eden’s trip was a magical experience from start to finish. She and her family
enjoyed exciting excursions while they were docked in Nassau and Castaway Cay,
Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. Eden had fun in the sun at the beach and
saw lots of glowing fish at the aquarium. She absolutely loved watching a thrilling
show at Atlantis Resort.
The best part of her trip, according to Eden, was getting all the attention from the
Disney characters. One day, she dressed up as Minnie Mouse and met the other
Disney characters that she loves to watch and read about. To top it off, when she and
her family went shopping, she picked out everything Minnie Mouse.
Eden’s mother said, “She was literally in la la land and you couldn’t wipe the smile
off her face.”
Wish Granters: Judy Rosenbaum & Ellen Roth
Referred by: Aya Nadler, her mother
Wish adopted by: The Leonard L. Abess & Bertha U. Abess Foundation
DONATE YOUR AIRLINE MILES
Please help us grant wishes involving airline travel. Donate your unused airline miles today! For more
information, visit www.sfla.wish.org.
If you know of a child with a life-threatening medical condition who would love to experience a wish come true,
call the Make-A-Wish Southern Florida at 888.773.9474
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
PERMIT NO. 5330
MAKE-A-WISH® SOUTHERN FLORIDA, INC.
4491 South State Road 7, Suite 201
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314