‘Expanding your family:’ Washington Make-A-Wish seeks volunteers amid record numbers

“I’ve learned so much and grown through just being connected to them as people,” long-time Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington (AKWA) volunteer, Teresa Perdue, told MyNorthwest earlier this month.

Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit that grants “wishes” to children with critical illnesses. You may have seen Make-A-Wish on TV or heard about a fun trip they’ve granted a child.

An 11-year-old boy got the chance to be a Seattle Mariners player for a day, a 4-year-old’s wish of being a Marine was fulfilled and one young girl handed out stuffed animals to other children going through treatment.

Make-A-Wish AKWA President and CEO Melissa Arias said the nonprofit has delivered a record number of wishes this year and is on track to complete 50 just this month. However, those wishes wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteers and more are needed.

Perdue has been a volunteer since 1989 and said helping fulfill wishes is an incredible experience.

“Seeing the joy that it brings to them and being able to see some wishes being granted in person, where they’re here in Seattle and not far away, it’s just it’s so heartwarming,” she shared.

Make-A-Wish child gets to meet Seattle Storm player

Perdue noted helping a young boy meet the Seattle Storm was a wish that stuck out to her. With the help of Carter Subaru, she introduced the child to one of his favorite athletes.

“He wished to meet Brianna Stewart when she played for the Seattle Storm,” Perdue said. “And they (Carter Subaru) provided the tickets and he and his family got to sit in the suite. He met Brianna Stewart, and she presented him with lots of swag.”

Carter Subaru immediately connected Make-A-Wish to the Seattle Storm to help fulfill his wish.

“It was funny because when I met with him, he was like, ‘The only team I like in Seattle is the women’s basketball team,’ not the Seahawks, not the Mariners. It was the Seattle Storm, which I thought was so cute and he’s been following Brianna Stewart throughout her career. So, Carter Subaru really helped with that, so that was really neat,” Perdue continued.

However, not every kid wishes to go on a trip or meet someone famous. One child wanted to make his backyard more accessible for his wheelchair, while another wanted to save the money for college, Arias shared. Both Arias and Perdue touched on the importance of volunteers to fulfill wishes and the different ways people can be part of Make-A-Wish.

Arias said at any given time, the nonprofit has about 600 volunteers, with over 300 in the Puget Sound region. There are also a few staff members who manage projects and get things scheduled, but the volunteers deliver the wishes.

Arias said volunteers always work in pairs.

“They follow that child through their entire wish process from the child designing the wish, celebrating when the wish is able to happen and then launching them on their wish, whether that be unveiling their new swing set they wished for or seeing them off at the airport if they wish to go to Disneyland,” she said.

However, without volunteers, Arias said they can’t get to every child in need. She added that while they’re in the process of granting more than 400 wishes right now, there are about 630 kids waiting for their wish.

Misconceptions about volunteering with Make-A-Wish

One of the biggest misconceptions about volunteering, said Perdue, is that it will take up a lot of time. She said at the most, it takes around one hour a week and volunteers work as a team.

“They’ll always have a wish partner and that partner will guide them through the process,” she said.

Volunteers meet with the wish families and build relationships.

“Which is really fun to have that relationship with the kids and the families and become close and become friends with them,” Perdue said.

Arias said volunteering is also a great way to meet people in the community and make friends.

“It’s something that you can fit in and it’s a great way to meet people if you’re new to Seattle,” she said. “We’ve had people make friends, become friends and they grant lots of wishes together. We’ve had people meet each other, boyfriends or girlfriends and partners meet each other and get married because they started granting wishes together. So it’s also an awesome opportunity for you to expand your social circle.”

If someone doesn’t want to grant wishes, they can volunteer in other ways like translating or being an airport greeter.

Volunteers needed: ‘You bring so much joy’

“You bring so much joy and happiness to these kids and I think a lot of people are nervous or scared because they think this child is sick, but they are so wise beyond their years and you get so much more back from them than you give to them,” Perdue said.

Arias said all of the volunteer training is online and is easy to complete.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit Make-A-Wish AKWA’s website. Those not looking to volunteer but still want to help can donate financially or donate airline miles.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.