Make-A-Wish and UnitedHealthcare Celebrate “World Wish Day” in Hartford
April 29 2015 - 1:52PM
Business Wire
- 1,000 luminaires light up 185 Asylum
St. for the Make-A-Wish 35th “World Wish Day”
celebration
- UnitedHealthcare employees across
Connecticut participate in two-week Wishes at Work®
campaign to help make more wishes come true
Make-A-Wish® executives joined UnitedHealthcare employees to
celebrate the 35th anniversary of “World Wish Day” at the company’s
185 Asylum St. offices. UnitedHealthcare donated more than $16,000
to help Make-A-Wish fulfill wishes for children in Connecticut with
severe life-threatening medical conditions.
Pam Keough, president and CEO of
Make-A-Wish Connecticut (bottom left), and Jim Bedard, CFO of
UnitedHealthcare's Northeast Region (bottom right), stand among the
1,000 luminaires purchased to help make wishes come true for
children like Louis (first row, second from left) and his family.
UnitedHealthcare employees raised more than $16,000 through this
statewide two-week employee "lights of hope" campaign to help
Make-A-Wish Connecticut grant wishes to children with
life-threatening medical conditions. Today marks the 35th
anniversary of the founding of Make-A-Wish. The Connecticut chapter
has made more than 2,500 wishes come true since its inception in
1986 (Photo: Digital Creations, Alan Grant).
“World Wish Day” honors the anniversary of the first wish ever
granted, which was to a 7-year-old boy named Chris who wished to be
a police officer. Granting his wish inspired the creation of
Make-A-Wish® 35 years ago and sparked a global wish-granting
movement.
UnitedHealthcare employees purchased 10,000 luminaires during a
two-week Wishes at Work® campaign to support children’s wishes in
Connecticut. These candle-lit bags were displayed during the
Make-A-Wish “World Wish Day” Hartford celebration. Make-A-Wish also
shared a new wish being fulfilled through efforts like
UnitedHealthcare’s. Five-year-old Wish Kid Louis recently returned
from his Make-A-Wish experience, which was to swim with the
dolphins in Florida. Louis’s trip was more than he could have
dreamed of, and according to his mother, “words cannot describe the
experience this was for all of us.”
“Through our decades-long relationship with UnitedHealth Group,
we have been able to fund countless wishes in Connecticut and
across the country,” said Maria Arnold, development officer for
Make-A-Wish Connecticut. “The success of this statewide luminaires
campaign demonstrates that UnitedHealth Group’s employees take our
mission to heart – and we look forward to joining them again to
make more wishes come true.”
Make-A-Wish Connecticut began granting wishes to local children
in 1986 and has made more than 2,500 wishes come true over the past
29 years. Wishes inspire imagination and happiness, and enable
children to spend precious time with their families. More than 180
wishes were granted in its 2014 fiscal year, and more than 200
wishes will be granted in the coming year.
“These kids have such a resilient spirit that has touched so
many of our employees,” said Stephen Farrell, CEO, UnitedHealthcare
of New England. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner
with Make-A-Wish Connecticut to make more children’s wishes come
true.”
About Make-A-Wish
ConnecticutThe 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 often choose something that will inspire happiness and
allow them to spend precious time with their families. The
Connecticut chapter has made more than 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 Connecticut), Twitter (@MakeAWishCT) and Instagram
(@MakeAWishCT).
About
UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping
people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health
care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and
sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company
offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for
individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and
their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities
nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and
well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at
www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150429006432/en/
Make-A-Wish ConnecticutMichael Dominick,
203-880-6964michael@ct.wish.orgorUnitedHealthcareMaria Gordon
Shydlo, 917-748-9002maria_g_shydlo@uhc.com
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