Giving Thanks, Giving Hope: How Car Donations Help Make-A-Wish Holiday Wishes Come True

Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? By donating your car to Wheels For Wishes, you can help make wishes come true for children battling critical illnesses through the Make-A-Wish organization. Your generosity can make a lasting impact on children like Fredy, Ava, and Frankie, bringing joy and hope during difficult times.

Not only will your donation provide financial support for wishes, but it will also offer you tax deductions and a convenient way to give back to your community. Join us in the green movement by contributing to vehicle donations, and help children create lasting memories and find strength in their battles.

With nationwide operations and a fleet vehicle donation service, your contribution can make a difference in the lives of these deserving children. Give thanks, give hope, and make wishes come true this holiday season.

Make-A-Wish Organizations Across the U.S. Benefit

Let's dive into how the Make-A-Wish Organization spreads joy and creates unforgettable experiences for wish-kids through their amazing wish-granting initiatives!

From granting Fredy's wish for a puppy to taking Ava to Hawaii for a magical experience, and giving Frankie a VIP tour of a dinosaur museum, Make-A-Wish goes above and beyond to bring happiness to these brave kids.

Your support and donations help make these life-changing wishes possible, bringing hope and joy to children in need.

Impact on Children's Lives

The Gift of (Puppy) Love!

Six-year-old Fredy from Dutchess County loves the color blue, cookies, McDonald’s, the movie Lucas, and animals. When he told his wish granters that he wanted to have a golden retriever, we partnered up with Pawrade to find Fredy’s perfect match.

Fredy and his family received VIP travel treatment from our friends at Woodbury Bus who brought him to the Wish House where his new best friend was waiting for him. It was love at first sight! 

Thank you to Pastry Chef, Pawrade, Petland USA, Silver Star Limousine, and Woodbury Bus for helping make Fredy's wish come true!

Ava's Wish for a hula dance

When wish child Ava was 3.5 years old, her family had just moved into a new home and were looking forward to creating fun memories as a family.  

What they were not expecting, was just a day after moving in, for Ava to lose the ability to walk and to have her spend the next six weeks in the hospital.  

An MRI confirmed that she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Their lives were flipped upside down. 

During this difficult time, Ava was referred to Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley and wish granting volunteers visited her to help grant her most heartfelt wish. Ava soon shared that she wanted her wish was to be to learn how to hula dance in Hawaii!   

From the start of the wish experience, the family knew the wish was going to be unforgettable when a big luxury bus showed up at the house to pick up Ava, her brother Jack, and their parents.   

Once they arrived at the Waikiki Sheridan, Ava and her little brother, Jack, were given an amazing gift when each was handed a bag and was told they could fill them with whatever they wanted from the gift shop. The kids thought this was the best thing ever! 

While in Hawaii, Mom says it was amazing for Ava to “walk, laugh, and have the color back in her face.”   

On the beautiful beach of Waikiki, Ava was taught how to hula dance by a real hula dancer while brother Jack spent his day building sandcastles in the sand. Later in the evening, the family were treated like royalty and given front row seats at an amazing Luau. Ava really became part of the show when she was also given the honor of wearing a crown of flowers to wear!  

Ava’s mom feels it was a “truly special night as Ava and her brother ran around and danced together…they had a ball.”   

Since Ava’s wish, she’s ready to move past cancer and put it all behind her. However, the wish is something Ava and her family will never forget as it helped bring fun memories they could share as a family - together!   

Frankie's Wish to be a Paleontologist

For 9-year-old Frankie, his battles with a congenital heart disorder (Tetralogy of Fallot), started at birth. He's had an open heart surgery, takes many medications, and has to keep a steady schedule of cardiology appointments - his life is full of constant monitoring. And likely always will. 

Despite these challenges, Frankie has persisted not only in his education but in activities outside the classroom. He plays soccer, loves interactive video games, and is fascinated with dinosaurs. 

His mother, Victoria, recalls him amassing a large collection of dino toys before he was 3-years-old.

“It just got more involved as he got older,” she recalls, laughing while confessing that, “He can tell you the names of them. He can pronounce their names better than I can.” 

While some kids go through their wish journey and want to meet celebrities or get a VIP Walt Disney World experience, this budding paleontologist went a different path: a VIP day-long tour of the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience museum in Canon City, Colorado. 

While there, he received a special merit badge, received a lifetime Royal Gorge membership, and even had the opportunity to sponsor an Allosaurus (his favorite dino). 

Frankie was able to be hands-on with numerous exhibits, including a simulated fossil dig and Dinosaur Wild Walk featuring life-sized animatronic dinosaurs roaming through a recreated desert forest. For Frankie, it was dino heaven!

While exploring the Wild Walk, Frankie was urged to pick out his favorite creature. Not surprisingly, he went straight for the Allosaurus. As it turned out, the Royal Gorge staff were given a heads up about Frankie's favorite dino by the Make-A-Wish staff and had a special plaque made up in Frankie’s honor. They placed it permanently by the Allosaurus display for all future visitors to see the impact of a wish. 

“We have that moment on video,” beams Victoria. “That’s really what it’s all about. That made his day complete.”

“It was very cool seeing all the dinosaur bones and learning about them,” confirms Frankie, who gushes recollecting how, “I met a real paleontologist.” 

Victoria, however, can attest to how every moment made a lasting impact on Frankie, and the care with which Make-A-Wish’s volunteers and staff attended to him — left an impression grander than a stegosaurus' footprint. 

“He was off the charts,” she says of his reaction to first receiving his wish. “The hand-slapping, everything. He got very excited.” And from the instant they arrived in Colorado, Victoria says, “Everywhere we went, from the airport to the hotel, people greeted him and had something for him. There was stuff at the Wild Walk Experience he’ll never forgot. He was like, ‘Mommy, it feels like my birthday every day.’ And that really gave me the chills. That’s what it was all about: making him feel special.” 

Financial Support for Wishes

When you donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, you're providing essential financial support for granting life-changing wishes to children battling illnesses like Fredy, Ava, and Frankie. Your donation helps Make-A-Wish chapters generate funds to fulfill wishes that bring joy and hope to these brave children.

By contributing to this cause, you're making a meaningful impact on the lives of these young individuals and their families, giving them experiences they'll cherish forever. Your generosity allows these children to create lasting memories, find strength in difficult times, and experience moments of happiness amidst their challenges.

Thank you for your support in helping to make these holiday wishes come true for children in need.

Vehicle Donation Process

The vehicle donation process with Wheels For Wishes is like a smooth ride on a scenic highway, offering a convenient way to support children in need.

By donating your vehicle, you can make a meaningful impact on a child's life and help grant their holiday wishes through Make-A-Wish.

The process is simple and hassle-free, allowing you to give back to your community with ease.

Whether your vehicle is running or not, Car Donation Foundation accepts all types of vehicles and provides free pick-up and towing services.

Your donation will directly benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters, giving children the hope and joy they deserve.

Join us in making a difference this holiday season by donating your vehicle today. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Green Movement Contribution

Let's get on board with the eco-friendly movement by contributing to a greener future through vehicle donation with Car Donation Foundation!

By donating your vehicle, you're not only helping make children's wishes come true but also making a positive impact on the environment. Your donation helps reduce waste and promotes recycling, contributing to a cleaner and healthier planet for future generations.

Whether your vehicle is running or not, it can still make a difference in a child's life and in the sustainability of our planet. Join us in giving thanks by giving hope through your car donation, and together, we can make a difference in the lives of children in need while supporting the green movement.

Donate A Car To Give Thanks this holiday season

You can help support Make-A-Wish chapters across the country and contribute to granting life-changing wishes for children in need by donating a car here.

With free vehicle pick-up and towing services, donating your car, truck, motorcycle, SUV, RV, or boat has never been easier.

Your donation not only provides you with charitable tax deductions but also makes a significant impact on the lives of children fighting hard battles.

Joining this program allows you to give back to communities nationwide and help make children's dreams a reality.

Your contribution through WFW truly embodies the spirit of giving thanks and giving hope this holiday season.