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Make-a-Wish Foundation to honor two Massapequa "Wish" children
Wish Children Courtney Stewart and Michelle Churba of Massapequa will be honored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York at the Annual Make-A-Wish® Gala on May 11. According to Patricia Clemency, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York, "Courtney and Michelle will join several extraordinary wish children as honorees at our Annual Gala, A Celebration of Hope… Making Wishes Come True. They are remarkable children who know the joy of a dream-come-true, possess the power of wishful thinking, and serve as an inspiration to us and to future wish families." Courtney’s wish to visit the fun and excitement of Orlando, Florida was granted when she was seven, and the family was showered with VIP treatment at the world’s most famous theme park. Her mom, Elizabeth Stewart said, "Planning a vacation is the last thing on your mind when your child has cancer. We certainly could have given Courtney a trip to Florida, but not in the manner that the Make-A-Wish Foundation provided it." Now nine, Courtney finished her treatments and attends Massapequa’s East Plain Elementary School. The family speaks at Make-A-Wish events to share the power of a wish-come-true. Courtney’s father John Stewart serves on the advisory board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York. Stewart said, "We swore that we would give back to the Foundation everything they gave us, in any way we could."
At age 11, Michelle got her wish to meet the cast of the television show, "Full House." She spent a few days hanging out with her favorite actors, and watching them rehearse and film. Michelle said, "I felt really lucky… like I was a special celebrity myself." This spring, Michelle, now 22, graduates from Loyola College with a degree in communications and marketing and speaks at Make-A-Wish events to advocate the magic of a wish-come-true for seriously ill children and their families. Clemency said, "Courtney and Michelle are such devoted supporters of our mission that we have officially dubbed them ‘Wish Ambassadors.’ Along with their families, they continue to be involved with their Make-A-Wish family and help raise funds to grant more wishes – confirming once again that people touched by a wish experience are touched forever." The theme of the 2005 Annual Make-A-Wish Gala is three-fold: It will honor 5,500 wish kids who have had a wish-come-true, by praising the efforts of some who help sustain the mission for future children. The Celebration of Hope… Making Wishes Come True is a tribute to 12-year-old Hope Stout who selflessly used her one wish to grant the wishes of 155 eligible children in her chapter who were waiting for wishes. Also, the Metro New York chapter celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Ms. Clemency said, "We are proud to be a part of its inspiring and wonderful work to faithfully craft a place where a child’s much-needed dream really does come true." The Make-A-Wish Gala is May 11 at Chelsea Piers, New York City. Proceeds will fund wishes for over 500 children in 2005, from Nassau County and the five boroughs of New York City. Ways to participate in the Gala’s success include sponsorship opportunities, journal advertisements, and ticket purchases, and are tax deductible. The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. The Metro New York chapter, which serves the five boroughs of New York City and Nassau County, Long Island began in 1983 and is headquartered in Lake Success with a field office in Manhattan. Since its founding, the Metro New York chapter has granted more than 5,500 wishes. In fiscal year 2004, the chapter granted 489 wishes to local children and hosted another 186 children from Make-A-Wish chapters around the world whose wishes involved travel to New York City. This equates to one wish every 13 hours making Metro New York one of the most active chapters in the national network of 74 Make-A-Wish chapters across the country.
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