Make-A-Wish Launches Give Wishes Wings(SM) Campaign Encouraging the Donation of Airline Miles to Help Wish Kids Travel for Their Wishes

(Trumbull, CT)

Trillions of airline miles go unused each year. Instead of letting them expire or using them for magazine subscriptions, those miles can easily be donated to change the lives of kids battling life-threatening medical conditions in the local community. On Thursday, April 2, Make-A-Wish® Connecticut will begin a month-long campaign – Give Wishes Wings – focusing on the unique and critical need Make-A-Wish has for airline miles. The campaign will encourage travelers who have unused airline miles to consider donating them to help grant the 70 percent of Make-A-Wish Connecticut wishes that require travel.

The process to donate miles is as simple as visiting givewisheswings.org, choosing from a number of airlines – including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines®, JetBlue, and United – and entering a few pieces of information. The number of miles an individual can donate ranges from a few hundred miles* to millions. Donated miles never expire and are never used for anything other than wish travel for wish kids and their families. You can also visit ct.wish.org for more information about the Connecticut chapter, along with further opportunities to donate.

Most people have seen or heard of a wish come true – whether it’s a 5-year-old boy rescuing a city as his favorite superhero, a young girl wishing to dance with a prince, or a teenager relishing beachside moments in the Caribbean, miles away from the thought of treatment and the pain of hospital visits. However, few people recognize the resources Make-A-Wish Connecticut requires to make wishes possible.

“Travel is the most costly expense to our chapter,” said Pam Keough, CEO for Make-A-Wish Connecticut. “Donating airline miles is a little known way for supporters to help us grant more life-changing wishes without ever having to tap into their bank accounts.”

Some estimates show there are more than 16 trillion frequent flier miles that go unused each year and some 25 percent of people let their miles expire or at the last minute use miles for magazine subscriptions or a one-time upgrade. In contrast, the impact of a wish can last a lifetime. In fact, medical professionals say wish experiences can improve children’s state of mind, make them more willing to comply with treatment requirements, and even influence their physical health. Former wish kids tell us their wish experience improved their health and strength; gave them more confidence and the will to pursue more challenging life goals; made them more philanthropic and compassionate; and even helped save their life.

Give Wishes Wings is the most ambitious airline miles initiative in Make-A-Wish history. Make-A-Wish Connecticut will join Make-A-Wish chapters throughout the country in its activation of the April campaign, which includes brand new broadcast, print and online PSA and advertising features; a mobile optimized micro-site with real-time donation tracking; and a peer-to-peer challenge component that enlists social media to generate campaign support.

*minimum donations depend on airline

_________________________________________________________________________

MATT WALSH, OF HBO’S VEEP, STARS IN GIVE WISHES WINGS PSA

READ ABOUT HOW MAKE-A-WISH CHANGES LIVES

FOLLOW THE #GIVEWISHESWINGS CONVERSATION

_________________________________________________________________________

WILLING TO TWEET ABOUT GIVE WISHES WINGS?

Suggested Twitter language:

TEXT: Help #GiveWishesWings during April by donating your airline miles and dollars to @MakeAWishCT (LINK)

TAG: @MakeAWish

LINK: https://givewisheswings.org/

Suggested Facebook language:

TEXT: Help #GiveWishesWings during the month of April by donating your airline miles and dollars to Make-A-Wish Connecticut! To learn how, visit www.givewisheswings.org

TAG: https://www.facebook.com/MakeAWishCT

LINK: https://givewisheswings.org/

– – –

Note to Editors: The wishes Make-A-Wish grants span multiple areas of interest, including (but not limited to) sports, television and film, fashion, theme parks, technology, the outdoors, finance, and celebrities; many of these wishes involve travel. If interested in covering a travel wish that involves a specific topic, please contact Michael Dominick at michael@ct.wish.org.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut, Inc.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Wish-come-true experiences can do wonders by providing a much-needed break from lengthy hospital stays and medical treatments. They give back to a child what a serious medical condition can take away—the chance to simply enjoy being a kid. Wish kids choose something that will inspire happiness, and allow them to spend precious time with their families. The Connecticut chapter has made over 2,500 wishes come true since its inception in 1986. Learn more about Connecticut wishes at www.ct.wish.org, or join Make-A-Wish on Facebook (search Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut, Inc.), Twitter (@MakeAWishCT) and Instagram (@MakeAWishCT).

###