To the general public, Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is an essential stop on a Southern California trip. However, to Make-a-Wish families, the recent 5-day-long Star Wars adventure hosted by Disneyland Resort has been a dream come true for critically ill children and their families. Make-a-Wish is a well-known international foundation whose mission is to “ create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses” (Make-a-Wish). In early September, the Make-a-Wish Foundation provided 19 families with the first extensive wish-granting event at Disneyland Resort’s Star Wars-themed Blaze Your Path: a Star Wars Adventure.
This event kicked off with a breakfast where the children were given a choice to follow either the dark or light path; this continued with several other Star Wars-related activities such as a treasure hunt for parts of a personal lightsaber, building accompanying droids, and meeting favorite characters from the franchise. These families had the joy of meeting key characters, encountering Kylo Ren and later the First Order Stormtroopers. This exhilarating day ended with an equally fitting private dinner where the children adopted the Jedi’s power and witnessed a thrilling lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren and Rey. Besides on-site events, Disneyland Resort also gifted the families Star Wars backpacks filled with themed toys, pins, accessories, figures, Star Wars books, and more (PR Newswire).
One of the most important factors of Make-a-Wish events is giving a child unable to experience childhood the ability to enjoy time with family. Alongside the child’s enjoyment, his or her entire family also gets to enjoy themselves by relaxing at the resort and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (PR Newswire). Make-a-Wish has worked in tandem with many different franchises and companies; Disney specifically has been working to grant wishes since 1980. This event adds to the 155,000 wishes granted by Disney globally (ABC 7).
Apart from Disneyland Resort, it is well-known that Disney has several other projects that require a hefty amount of funding. Especially with the hundreds of thousands of wishes granted by Disney, every visit to the theme park is crucial to their goals as Make-a-Wish collaborators. Many Yorba Linda High School students spend their weekends, finally free of homework and stress, enjoying time with their families and friends at Disneyland or Downtown Disney. To make those weekends even better, this money spent goes into the fund for many more wishes. As Giana Gorakshakar (10), a frequent attendee, states, “I feel good knowing it is going to a good cause because I have fun while letting my money go towards a good cause.”
Despite theme parks seeming like regular events to the general public, foundations like Make-a-Wish emphasize that these events can truly be shaped into unforgettable and unique experiences. While the students of other high schools, adults, and children alike all visit Disney, they can attend knowing their tickets fuel an extraordinary cause. On the receiving end, Make-a-Wish families with Disney-related wishes can spend their days at Disney establishments to the fullest. Every person deserves a reserved day to be free of their struggles and embrace unadulterated joy; Make-a-Wish provides this opportunity to the children most deserving of such an unforgettable experience.
