These two wishes will be among those granted on World Wish Day in 36 countries served by Make-A-Wish around the world.

World Wish Day is organized by Make-A-Wish to commemorate the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of what is now one of the world’s leading children’s charities. 7-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix by volunteers from several law-enforcement agencies on April 29, 1980.

Chris’ legacy continues today with Make-A-Wish Sacramento & Northeastern California. On April 26, Angel, 3, will travel to Disneyland with his family to celebrate his birthday at the “happiest place on earth”. They will enjoy two days at the Disney California Adventure Park as well as Universal Studios and Knotts Berry Farm.

On April 29, Allissa, 14, will travel to Disney World with her family. They will be staying at Give Kids The World, a resort built for families who have children with life-threatening illnesses, where they will experience an entire week of hopping from The Magic Kingdom to Epcot and everywhere in between.

“Granting children’s wishes through Make-A-Wish is a rallying point for people around the globe,” said Robert Gregoire, Interim CEO at Make-A-Wish Sacramento & Northeastern California. “It unifies everyone in a common cause, to bring hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. We want our communities to join in that spirit by celebrating the wishes of Angel and Allissa on World Wish Day.”

Wishes granted by Make-A-Wish are as unique as the children served by it but typically fall into one of four categories: To Be (e.g., a ballerina, a firefighter), To Meet (e.g., a favorite celebrity or athlete), To Have, (e.g., a computer, a playhouse), or To Go (e.g., to a theme park, to Hawaii). In 2011, the organization granted the wishes of more than 20,000 children worldwide − more than 13,500 in the United States and more than 7,000 through 36 international affiliates on five continents.

“My wish experience was something truly amazing”, wish child Marisol, 16, told us. “Keep making kids all over the world happy because what you do is something really special and magical, and I give you thanks with all my heart and I will never forget what you did for me!”

Share the power of a wish® on World Wish Day by joining us at Walk for Wishes on May 19 at the State Capitol, referring your child, making a donation, giving unused frequent flier miles, or simply spreading the word about Make-A-Wish. Visit www.sacnortheast.wish.org to learn more.

Imagine having the opportunity to be granted your “one true wish” and finding out that your wish has been granted in front of over 17,000 people! That is what happened to Zoe as she received the 4,000th wish granted by Make-A-Wish® Sacramento and Northeastern California. On Sunday, April 15th, Make-A-Wish granted the 4,000th wish in its history when it presented an opportunity to become a princess to 5-year-old Wish Kid Zoe who has Acute Promyeloctic Leukemia (APL) at the Sacramento Kings vs. Portland Trailblazers game.

Zoe loves princesses, especially Cinderella, and her heartfelt wish was to have “a day in the life of a princess”. Her family and friends say this has always been her dream and she loves to dress up and fantasize about being a princess. This became an even more important part of her life after she was diagnosed with APL in 2010. Her life revolved around doctor appointments, chemotherapy treatments, and more tests than anyone could imagine.

Stefanie Cruz, news anchor for FOX40 and upcoming Walk for Wishes® master of ceremonies, appeared at the game on Sunday to announce that Zoe’s dream will come true. Dressed as Zoe’s Fairy Godmother, Cruz magically appeared in front of the entire crowd to tell Zoe that she will become a princess for a day. The girl learned about her upcoming trip with her family, where she will be treated like royalty and will receive a head-to-toe makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and other special treats.

Zoe loves princesses especially Cinderella, and her dream has always wanted to be a princess. Her family and friends say this has always been her dream and she loves to dress up and fantasize about the life of a princess. This became an even more important part of her life after she was diagnosed with APL in 2010. Her life revolved around doctor appointments, chemotherapy treatments, and more tests than anyone could imagine. Her heartfelt wish was to have “a day in the life of a princess” and her wish is coming true as Stefanie Cruz, news anchor for FOX40 and upcoming Walk for Wishes® master of ceremonies, will appear at the game on Sunday to announce that Zoe’s dream will come true. Dressed as Zoe’s Fairy Godmother, Cruz will magically appear in front of the entire crowd to tell Zoe that she will become a princess for a day. The girl will learn about her upcoming trip with her family, where she will be treated like royalty and will receive a head-to-toe makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and other special treats.

“This is a very important milestone for Make-A-Wish® Sacramento and Northeastern California and what a special wish to celebrate it,” said Robert Gregoire, CEO. “Witnessing a child’s wish being announced is possibly one of the most moving experiences you can have. These kids have been through so much in their short lives and we are thrilled to be able to share this experience with the attendees at the upcoming game. It’s a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of the difference a wish can make to help a child recapture the joy of life again.”

“This day would have not been possible without the tremendous support of our donors and volunteers who have given generously in both money and time,” said Mr. Gregoire, “and we need more help than ever now. Our upcoming Walk for Wishes® on Saturday, May 19, 2012, is a great way for anyone to get involved and make a difference for these kids.”

For more information on the walk, please go to www.sacwalkforwishes.kintera.org/2012

Special Thanks
The chapter wishes to thank Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Tobin & Tobin for their support and partnership at the Sacramento Kings games, allowing Zoe to share her wish with the 17,000 Sacramento Kings fans in attendance. Weintraub Genshlea Chediak Tobin & Tobin generously selected Make-A-Wish® Sacramento and Northeastern California as their charity of choice for this event.

Bradley, 18, enjoyed a full weekend of wish activities in Miami with his family, capped by attending WrestleMania XVIII on April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Fla. Bradley is one of 40 wish kids whose wishes to attend WrestleMania were granted by WWE and Make-A-Wish.

In addition to experiencing the excitement of WrestleMania, Bradley had exclusive opportunities to meet WWE Superstars and Divas, along with other celebrities:

• Friday, March 30 – A private autograph session with WWE Superstars and Divas

• Saturday, March 31 – Circle of Champions Pizza Party with WWE Superstar and Wish Ambassador John Cena® at Jungle Island

• Sunday, April 1 – WrestleMania Axxess at the Miami Beach Convention Center and WrestleMania XVIII at Sun Life Stadium

“It’s fitting for WWE and the Make-A-Wish Foundation to put on the biggest wish-granting celebration each year at WrestleMania,” said Sue Aitchison, Director of Community Relations, WWE. “The weekend will be full of surprises for the wish kids and their families. These wishes undoubtedly will bring the kids plenty of joy and help the families spend much-needed time together away from the hospitals and medical treatments.”

For 30 years, WWE has been one of Make-A-Wish’s most dedicated wish granters, fulfilling hundreds of children’s wishes to meet its Superstars and Divas and attend major events such as WrestleMania. WWE also has a multi-year commitment to support Make-A-Wish and its wish-granting activities throughout the year.

“Bradley is thrilled about attending WrestleMania,” said Robert Gregoire, CEO of Make-A-Wish Sacramento and Northeastern Calif. “WWE has helped grant the wishes of so many courageous children with life-threatening medical conditions, who return energized and delighted by the experience. We are fortunate to have a dedicated supporter like WWE to bring these children hope, strength and joy as they face a difficult time in their young lives.”

About Make-A-Wish Sacramento and Northeastern California

Make-A-Wish Sacramento and Northeastern California was established in 1983 as one of the early local chapters of Make-A-Wish America, which is the leading wish-granting organization in the country. Since then, it has granted more than 4,000 wishes of children within its 24-county service area in Northeastern California from Modesto to the Oregon border. The mission of Make-A-Wish is to grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human spirit with hope, strength and joy. For more information about Make-A-Wish Sacramento and Northeastern California, please visit http://www.sacnortheast.wish.org.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on its global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

So, of course, his one true wish was to go to WrestleMania, which was granted on April 1, 2012.  His Mom, though not a wrestling fan herself, was ecstatic about her son having the opportunity to have this experience, which is all he could think about and talk about since he learned that his wish would be granted.  His wish experience also included attending a dinner/private autograph signing, as well as a Circle of Champions Luncheon hosted by a surprise World Wresting Entertainment superstar John Cena at Jungle Island!

Raul, diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia, had to endure chemotherapy and numerous hospital visits. This wish experience was a moment of joy and happiness during a difficult time in his life. Since his wish, Raul has found hours of enjoyment playing his new video games - proof that the joy and happiness the wish experience creates lasts well beyond the wish experience itself.

Her wish came at a perfect time – she had just finished a round of treatments for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia, which had been hanging like a dark cloud over the girl’s life these past several years.  The family just came back from Hawaii and this is what they shared with us:
“Our family cannot express with words the incredible gratitude we have for the opportunity Make a Wish gave us. Our trip to Oahu was a wonderful blessing. For the first time after several extremely stressful and sometimes frightening years of Lillian’s leukemia treatment, we were able to get away from everything and relax.

We had no idea that Lillian’s wish to visit a warm beach would result in a trip to Hawaii. When we received the news we were shocked and grateful.

The experience was delightful from start to finish. We truly took advantage of the opportunity to explore as much of Oahu as possible during our stay. In addition to the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center and swimming with the dolphins at Sea Life Park, we were able to visit Pearl Harbor, the Banzai Pipeline on the north shore, the Dole Plantation and the Farmers Market at the Aloha Bowl. Lillian and her brother spent hours in the saltwater pool at the Outrigger Reef, while her Mom and Dad just enjoyed sitting on the balcony of our room and watching the waves.

Thank you so much for selecting our family for a Make a Wish experience. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of Lillian’s cancer ordeal, and the beginning of a return to normal life.”