Make-A-Wish rallies communities nationwide to take action this World Wish Month

April campaign calls on WishMakers of all kinds, including celebrities and corporate partners,
to help close the gap in wish kids waiting for their wishes

Bob Iger to receive the inaugural WishMaker Lifetime Achievement Award during Disney's
Week of Wishes in recognition of his contributions to Make-A-Wish 

PHOENIX, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Every 20 minutes, a family learns their child has been diagnosed with a critical illness. While Make-A-Wish grants more than 40 wishes a day, on average, in the U.S., for every child who receives a wish, two more are still waiting. This April, during World Wish Month, Make-A-Wish is calling on people everywhere to become WishMakers through its global "WishMakers Wanted" campaign to help close the gap and deliver hope when it's needed most.

Make-A-Wish estimates that more than 50 WishMakers play a part in every wish by donating their time, talent or treasure. Now in its third year, "WishMakers Wanted" is more than a tagline. It's an urgent call to action to help get Make-A-Wish closer to delivering the life-changing power of a wish to more deserving children like 4-year-old Andrew, who wished to be a zookeeper, and 11-year-old Sophyii, who wished to be a nurse – both of whom are proudly featured in this year's campaign materials.

"We know that wishes play an important part in a child's medical journey, delivering the hope and joy needed to fight and overcome a critical illness," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "Through 'WishMakers Wanted,' we invite communities to come alongside us and help us get closer to delivering the life-changing power of a wish to more deserving children around the world." 

Throughout World Wish Month, Make-A-Wish will deliver this urgent message through a nationwide media blitz, wish alumni stories and celebrity testimonials across Make-A-Wish and external channels. There will also be several opportunities to bring WishMakers together in cities across the country such as Phoenix, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, including an exclusive auction with show items donated by Wheel of Fortune and a crowd-sourced, digital mosaic that symbolizes the power of WishMakers uniting to create something larger than themselves.

In addition, corporate WishMakers will activate in stores, online and through events to raise money and engage their customers and employees. National corporate partners participating during World Wish Month include: Avis, Benjamin Moore, Celebration Exotic Car Festival, Chase, Chi Omega Fraternity, Dave & Buster's/Main Event, Fanatics, IT'SUGAR, JTV, Kendra Scott, Royal Caribbean, Sugarwish, The Learning Experience, The Walt Disney Company, Topgolf, United Airlines and WWE. 

Celebrating Disney Week of Wishes and Honoring Bob Iger

Disney will close out the month with Disney Week of Wishes, a global campaign to bring happiness and joy to kids facing critical illnesses when it's needed most. Demonstrating the breadth and scale of the company's longstanding commitment to Make-A-Wish, this year's week-long celebration will feature wishes being granted across the company, including a one-of-a-kind wish event to bring wish kids to an Avengers-themed day at Disneyland Resort. During this magical week, Make-A-Wish America is proud to honor former longtime Disney CEO Bob Iger with the inaugural WishMakerLifetime Achievement Award in recognition of the extraordinary impact delivered under his leadership, with more than 110,000 Disney wishes granted during his tenure alone. 

Disney is the world's largest WishMaker for Make-A-Wish, granting a wish every hour of every day.

"Throughout Bob's tenure, his dedication and investment to ensuring that the magic of Disney reaches as many wish families as possible has allowed wishes to come to life in ways only Disney can deliver," said Motter. "We're thrilled to honor him with this much-deserved lifetime achievement award, and we thank him for his enduring commitment to providing hope, strength and joy to children with critical illnesses."

World Wish Month builds upon the foundation of World Wish Day celebrated every year on April 29, the anniversary of then-7-year-old Chris' wish to be a police officer in 1980. Forever changed by the experience, some of the original WishMakers involved in Chris' wish decided to create Make-A-Wish – a decision that sparked the global wish-granting movement that has led to more than 650,000 wishes being granted. 

Learn more and become a WishMaker today at wishmaker.org.

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.

Make-A-Wish, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Make-A-Wish swirl-and-star logo are marks of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

SOURCE MAKE-A-WISH AMERICA