Aloha Wish ‘Ohana,

As we reflect on more than 40 years of transforming lives across the state through the power of a wish, we remain committed to granting the wish of every eligible child, today and into the future. Your partnership is vital in creating life-changing wishes for local children with critical illnesses and we want to thank you for your support. Together, we granted wishes for 85 local children last fiscal year!

As you read the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report, we hope you’ll see the impact you’ve had on the lives of children like Honolulu wish kid Nemu, whose wish to go to Chicago to see snow and be reunited with her caregiver gave her the strength to live, or Kailua wish kid Vivienne, whose wish to have a playground gave her a safe space to play outdoors. We’ll share the story of California wish kid Simone, whose heartfelt wish was to meet Hawaii-born ‘ukulele virtuoso and composer Jake Shimabukuro. His music brought her strength while fighting leukemia. And we’ll introduce you to some of the many medical and community partners whose sincere belief in the power of a wish will play a pivotal role in granting more life-changing wishes like these as we look toward the future.  

In August, the wildfires on Maui devastated the community, impacting our wish ‘ohana. We were grateful and relieved to learn that our waiting wish kids and volunteers were safe. We extend a heartfelt mahalo to our team, partners, volunteers, donors and wish granters for their unwavering dedication, organizing aid for wish families and the entire West Maui community. In challenging times like these, our commitment to granting life-changing wishes becomes even more important. We are proud to deliver hope to local keiki fighting critical illnesses when they need it most.  

Mahalo nui loa for your heartfelt support to ensure no child will have to wait one day longer than necessary to experience the power of a wish. Together, we can continue to transform lives, one wish at a time.

Warm Aloha,