A fundraiser this weekend aims to raise $25,000 to help make kids’ dreams come true. The 9th annual Wine for Wishes benefits the McLean County Regional Council of Make-A-Wish Illinois, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
For Make-A-Wish dad Lynden McGriff, the event is also a chance to connect with a rich alumni network of parents, families and former Wish kids who’ve grown up and are now supporters of the organization.
McGriff, a pharmacist in Bloomington-Normal, and his wife Jillian have three kids: Oliver, 14, Ruby, 12, and Nadya, 11. All three have a congenital condition that can cause seizures and other health complications. One of their doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago suggested Make-A-Wish.
“They are amazing,” he said in an interview for WGLT’s Sound Ideas, but at first the McGriffs were concerned—thinking Make-A-Wish was only for children with terminal illnesses.
“We were like, whoa, are you not telling us something?” he said. “But Make-A-Wish actually has such a wide range, and it’s for patients who are going through so many things. We go to the hospital often. We’ve been to the emergency room a couple times this year, but we can continue to function on a day-to-day basis.”
Events like Wine for Wishes are a chance for the community of families connected to Make-A-Wish to take a breath and relax—while raising money to ensure more families have the same opportunity.
“Some of the Make-A-Wish participants have transitioned to Heaven,” McGriff said. “That’s hard, but Make-A-Wish is not just for that one time. You’re opening up to a new family, a new support system, a respite. That is what we are here for.”
Wine for Wishes coordinator Michelle Whited has two healthy kids and first got involved in Make-A-Wish 12 years ago after getting a cold call inviting her to volunteer. She’d just moved to Bloomington-Normal and thought it would be a great way to meet people.
“To see the impact that these wishes can have, not only on the kids, but on the families as a whole, is amazing,” she said. “I feel like part of my job as a parent is to support other parents. And this is a way that I can do it.”
Like McGriff, Whited at first had the impression that Make-A-Wish was only for terminally ill children.
“I had no idea until I got involved and said it's actually more than that,” she said. “It is really about reaching those children that have critical illnesses, and creating that spark, creating that moment in time for them to remind them they are kids.”
Over the past 40 years, the Make-A-Wish Illinois has granted 18,000 wishes, including three for the McGriff family. Ruby met Elsa at Disney World. Nadya swam with dolphins in Hawaii. And Oliver wished for a hot tub to hang out with friends at home. McGriff said Make-A-Wish handles all the details with a measure of care for what each child and family’s needs are, which is as much a gift for the parents as it is for the kids.
“It's really rewarding to be able to do this work,” Whited said, “and fundraising is part of it. You can't have a community-based organization to grant all these wishes without that.”
Wine for Wishes is 6-10 p.m. Saturday at Funk Farms, 5959 N. 1100 East Rd., Shirley, featuring wine, beer, small bites, a silent and live auction and live entertainment from singer Mike Johnson—also a Make-A-Wish parent. Tickets $30 at the door and online at wish.org.
