Dear Lori, Maria, Tony and team,
Wow! Even during a pandemic, you hit it out of the park!! On behalf of Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, I would like to thank all of you at Lawrence Subaru for the most generous donation of $21,200, which you presented to me on April 16, 2021. I understand that this gift represents the proceeds from the Share the Love campaign which was held in November of 2020 through the beginning of January 2021. As always, due to your connection with the Truck Convoy for Wishes event, which is organized by Sherri Keller, these proceeds will be included under the total for that event and we remain so very grateful to you for your longtime support of our mission here at Make-A-Wish. As required by the Internal Revenue Service, we confirm that you received no goods or services in exchange for this contribution. I have enclosed a 2020 date plate for you to add to your Wishmaker plaque.
Maria, Tony, Lori, and team-we appreciate your hard work over the past year and realize that this gift is amazing anytime but considering the state of the world with the Coronavirus, you truly made miracles happen. I continue to be so grateful for our partnership with your team at Lawrence Subaru. Hopefully, we can get back to normal this December and host our wish kids and their families at your dealership once again for a huge Wish Celebration.
We are so humbled by our wish children as they navigate their way through a critical illness with such bravado and courage. It strengthens our resolve to grant their heartfelt wish that meets all expectations, and it thrills us to reach even higher and throw in a surprise or two along the way.
Warm, sunny days never go unnoticed by wish kid, Ellie. Ellie is a 14 year-old girl who would rather be outside in the sunshine and fresh air than almost anywhere else. Ellie's medical condition makes it impossible for her to travel at this time, so she decided that the next best thing was to transform her backyard into a soothing oasis where she can hang out with friends and dare to dream of the future. Following all COVID distancing guidelines, we met with Ellie and her family to explore the many possibilities available to her. The most important part of this transformation for Ellie was having enough space to host her girlfriends for a 'girls and s'mores night.' This had been a frequent activity for Ellie and her friends for a long time, and then they experienced the isolation of 2020. So, for Ellie, this would be her way of saying, "Hey world! I'm back, I'm going to get better, and I'm going to do it my way."
We had great fun listening to Ellie's ideas. She wanted comfy chairs, a canvas awning for rainy days, patio stones so her feet would stay dry, and a tree swing for outdoor dreaming. We certainly were up for the task. We provided everything she asked for, and more. We included a portable fire pit to prepare those yummy s'mores, fancy dishes and skewers for serving, and tiki torches for days that turned into moonlit nights.
We know we exceeded Ellie's expectations because the day she came home to find her transformed outdoor space, her eyes were as big as the shining moon and as bright as the stars. Her friends were hiding behind the trees anxiously waiting for the cue to surprise her.
It was a night like no other. We know that Ellie will have years of fun times as she remembers this day with hope for the future and first-hand knowledge that wishes really do come true.
Sincerely,
Ann Waltman
Regional Director