Make-A-Wish Celebrates Inaugural Starblazer Award Honorees

The awards recognize previous wish recipients who have gone on to create lasting, positive change in their communities

PHOENIX, Jan. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish® is announcing the first-ever cohort of Starblazer Award honorees, six extraordinary wish alumni —previous wish recipients—who exemplify the lasting power of a wish. These individuals have drawn on the hope and strength from their childhood wishes and transformed them into lives of purpose, leadership, and generosity, making a positive impact in their communities, workplaces, and beyond.

While many associate Make-A-Wish with children facing terminal diagnoses, the mission reaches much further. Make-A-Wish serves children with a wide range of critical illnesses, and the majority of our wish kids go on to survive and reach adulthood. Among the more than 400,000 wish alumni nationwide, the long‑term impact of a wish is evident every day. Wish kids grow up to become doctors, teachers, advocates, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who continue to make a lasting impact.

"A wish is not a fleeting moment, it's a turning point," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "When a child imagines their own wish, they regain hope, strength, and joy during an incredibly difficult time. The Starblazer Awards honor alumni who embody that impact and are making a difference in their communities. Their stories show that one wish can change a life, and through them, continue to inspire countless others."

Meet the 2025 Starblazer Honorees:

• Danielle Burns: Recipient of The Olivia Colleen Starblazer Award
  Danielle's wish to build a well in Africa was granted in 2019. This experience gave her hope during treatment and later inspired her to support children in Uganda, serve on a nonprofit board, and work with therapeutic camps—bringing joy and possibility to others.
• Abigail Tremp: Recipient of The Jeff & Anna Saplis Quiet Angel Foundation Starblazer Award
  Abigail's 2017 wish to visit Washington, D.C., gave her lasting hope as she navigated life with a congenital heart defect. Motivated by her experience, she founded three "Kids for Wish Kids clubs," volunteered with Make-A-Wish, granted 27 wishes, and served as a Wish Granting Intern.
• Aubrienne Silva: Recipient of The Wright Family Starblazer Award
  In 2019, Aubrienne wished to travel to a tropical destination. Her wish strengthened her sense of hope and purpose, inspiring her to give back through projects like Looms of Light for pediatric cancer patients, leadership roles in AMSA at UCLA, extensive medical research, and mentorship initiatives. She remains dedicated to advocacy, service, and her goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.
• Campbell Faulkner: Recipient of The Michael Halle Starblazer Award
  Campbell's wish to visit Wrigley Field was granted in 2017. The experience inspired him to start a nonprofit that now serves more than 50,000 people—creating a ripple effect of positivity across his family and community.
• David Klafter: Recipient of The John Dawson Foundation Starblazer Award
  David wished to meet the President of the United States in 1989. Since then, he has spent more than two decades granting wishes, supporting Make-A-Wish financially, and volunteering twice a week at the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center—offering food, warm blankets, and encouragement to cancer patients awaiting treatment.
• Owen Gray: Recipient of The Monty Starblazer Award
  Owen's 2018 wish to be ESPN College GameDay's Celebrity Guest Picker brought immense joy to him and his family and showed him the power of kindness from Make-A-Wish, ESPN, and Texas A&M. The experience boosted his confidence, led him to pursue a career in sports broadcasting, and motivated his ongoing volunteer and philanthropic work supporting Make-A-Wish and organizations including the Marfan Foundation, Isaiah Austin Foundation, and Mike Barber Prison Ministries.

The Starblazer Awards are created through generous, unrestricted support from founding benefactors. Jim and Colleen Clark, Jeff and Anna Saplis, Jeff and Jenny Wright and family, Michael Halle, the John Dawson Foundation, and the Montgomery Family, each long‑time supporters of Make‑A‑Wish, provided the leadership gifts that enabled the creation of this unique recognition program.

To meet the honorees and read their inspiring stories, visit wish.org/starblazer.

About Make-A-Wish®
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and nearly 20,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 650,000 wishes worldwide; more than 400,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

SOURCE MAKE-A-WISH AMERICA