WISHING WIRE
Volunteer Newsletter | December 2013
Illustration by Jemma, aged 8. Jemma, diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia, had her wish to go to the snow granted in 2013.
Thank you for a making 2013 a particularly successful year for
Make-A-Wish® Australia and for the children we support.
Working together this year we have granted more
than 500 amazing wishes and wish assists – almost
40% growth on last year, and at a lower average
cost – each one individually crafted to suit the
recipient! This achievement means hundreds more
people, right across the country, were touched by the
life-changing power of our wishes. That is something
to be proud of!
A greater sense of unity has also been built this year
with more opportunities for volunteers and staff to
work together on project teams, policy reviews and
the like. We have seen some great results come
out of this collaboration and know there is more
to come. Thank you for your enthusiasm, positive
attitude and team work.
The most exciting result of our collaboration is
establishing a strategic framework for the future and
our goal to grant 2,000 great wishes a year by 2023.
To help reach our goal, the leadership of
Make-A-Wish will be further strengthened in 2014.
Ed Smith, Executive Director Marketing for Foxtel has
just joined the board of directors. Craig Watt, former
GM Finance and Operations for Herald and Weekly
Times has just accepted to become our interim Chief
Operating Officer. These great people bring new
expertise and fresh ideas. The board and executive
are most excited about the journey ahead.
Some other notable highlights from the year include
introducing some fantastic new partnerships,
including with The Qantas Foundation and Peters.
Partnering with such iconic names demonstrates the
high profile of Make-A-Wish and the importance
of our work in maximising hope for children with
life-threatening conditions.
We could keep going with the long list of achievements
for 2013 but mostly we want to acknowledge that
it was through your support of and dedication to
Make-A-Wish that these achievements became
possible. Thank you again for everything you have
given to Make-A-Wish this year.
To those who finish up in their volunteer role
this year thank you and best wishes with your
future endeavours – we hope you stay a friend of
Make-A-Wish. To those who will be back in 2014,
we look forward to working with you again and
cannot wait for the exciting times ahead.
Finally we wish you and your loved ones the very
best for the festive season and new year.
Best wishes
Stephen Sharp
Volunteer Newsletter | December 2013
Gerard Menses ■