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Our Mission
To grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Our Vision
All New Zealanders have the opportunity to share the power of a wish®.
The First Wish
All his life, Christopher James Greicius dreamed of becoming a police officer. This wish was to become the inspiration for the largest wish-granting organisation in the world.
In 1980, at the age of 7, Chris was diagnosed with leukaemia. Upon learning that Chris’s most cherished wish was to be a policeman, members of the Arizona State Troopers began working to ensure his dream came true. They arranged for Chris to take a flight in a police helicopter, ride in a patrol car and presented him with his very own uniform. He was even sworn in as an honorary member of the force.
Sadly, Chris passed away shortly afterwards. But the seed had been planted.
After attending Chris’s funeral, two of the State Troopers reflected on the experience of making his dream come true. They thought that if one boy’s wish could be granted, maybe the same could be done for other children. At that moment, the idea for Make-A-Wish® was born.
In early 1986, a small group of people met in Auckland to establish what we now know as Make-A-Wish New Zealand. Since that time, Make-A-Wish New Zealand has granted over 1,000 wishes to New Zealand children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Our First Wish
In 1986 New Zealand’s first wish was granted to a 4-year-old boy named Daniel with leukaemia who wanted to have Christmas in October. What an amazing experience it was for our volunteers to be able to grant Daniel his wish. Santa and his elves arrived on a fire engine with a sack full of gifts. Daniel was also given a ride on the fire engine. The magic of fulfilling Daniel’s wish was truly amazing as well as the creating the memory of the unforgettable day for his family.
Make-A-Wish in New Zealand
As we head towards our 25th year of granting wishes in New Zealand, we feel privileged to have been able to bring the magic and joy experienced by the first wish child, Christopher Greicius, to more than 1,000 New Zealand children.
How it all began
In early 1986 and inspired by what they had heard of Make-A-Wish in the USA, a small group of people met in Auckland to discuss the formation of a New Zealand team.
They had been inspired by a speech, from Jack Stanford, the then National President of Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America. He delivered an impassioned tale about the magic and joy experienced by children whose dreams had come true. He also spoke of the warmth and laughter, as well as sadness and heartache, experienced by those involved in the process of granting wishes. From this first meeting in Auckland came the inspiration and determination to pursue the mission of granting wishes to sick children here in New Zealand
Later that year, Make-A-Wish New Zealand officially opened in Auckland, and news of its good deeds spread rapidly. Soon, volunteers had been found from all around New Zealand as people from all walks of life joined together to assist children in their own local communities.
Make-A-Wish New Zealand today
Since that first wish, Make-A-Wish New Zealand has gone from strength to strength, now granting about 160 wishes every year. We now have more than 100 volunteers, supporting six staff members, in fulfilling our mission of bringing magic and joy to children and young people with a life-threatening medical condition.
Charities Commission – CC24625 – Registered 21/05/2008
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