What types of wishes are granted? Most of the wishes fall into one of four categories: destination (I want to go. .), occupation (I want to be. . ), celebrity (I want to meet. .) or special gift (I want to have. .)
What are the qualifications?
That the child has reached the age of 2 1/2 and is under the age of 18
That the child has a life-threatening medical condition i.e. a progressive, degenerative or malignant medical condition that has placed the child's life in jeopardy
That the child has never had a wish granted before
What is the Visitors Program?
We welcome approximately 600 children from all over the world each year who have made a wish to visit Hawaii. These wishes are coordinated by Hawaii staff and volunteers, but they are funded by the chapter or affiliate in the child's state or country of origin, so that we can proudly say that all money raised in Hawaii stays in Hawaii to grant wishes for Hawaii children. We give each one of these kids the same kind of special attention, unique experience, grand adventure and aloha that we give our own kids and that our kids receive from Make-A-Wish volunteers all over the world. A big "mahalo" to the businesses and individuals who are part of the Hawaii visitor industry and provide valuable in-kind contributions of time, services and materials.
Samu is a game fanatic, so when asked what he wanted for his wish, it was no surprise that he wished to go shopping for a Play Station 2 and games. The day got off to an exciting start when Samu and his family were picked up by a red stretch PT cruiser limousine. This 8-year old Ewa Beach boy could not stop smiling as he was whisked off to CompUSA and Game Stop for his shopping spree. After shopping for the latest video games and accessories, Samu’s special day ended with a lunch at Dave & Buster’s where he had never been before. Samu and his family had a terrific day and were able to forget about his illness, if only for a few short hours.