World Wish Day

About the event

April 29 is World Wish Day, a day that reminds us that sometimes one fulfilled wish can change everything. The celebration has been observed since 2010 and is tied to a story that is hard to read without tearing up.

The story that started it all

On April 29, 1980, seven-year-old Chris Greicius from Arizona, who was living with leukemia, had one dream — to become a police officer. Local officers learned about it and decided to make it happen. That day, Chris received a real uniform, a helmet, and a badge, passed a motorcycle “exam,” and even flew in a police helicopter. He became the only person ever to receive the title of honorary officer of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Four days later, on May 3, Chris passed away. But the people who saw his happiness decided that this should not remain a one-time act. That is how Make-A-Wish was born — one of the most well-known charitable organizations in the world.

Make-A-Wish today

Since 1980, the foundation has granted more than 550,000 wishes for children with critical illnesses. It operates in 50 countries across five continents. The first official “wish kid” was Frank “Bopsy” Salazar — another seven-year-old boy with leukemia whose dream was to visit Disneyland. That was the beginning of Make-A-Wish’s long-standing partnership with Disney.

Wishes come in all kinds: to be a firefighter for a day, to meet a favorite athlete, to swim with dolphins, to get a puppy, or simply to go to the sea with the whole family. The record-holder among celebrities is wrestler John Cena, who has granted more than 650 wishes — more than anyone else in the foundation’s history.

Why it matters

Research shows that a granted wish is not just a beautiful gesture. For a child with a serious diagnosis, it becomes a moment when illness steps into the background and joy, hope, and the feeling that the world is on their side move to the front. Families say that after a wish is granted, children often find new strength to keep fighting. It does not work like medicine — it works like fuel, emotional and deeply human.

Wish traditions around the world

• Blowing out candles on a cake — a tradition that goes back to the ancient Greeks, who believed the smoke carried wishes to the gods.
• Throwing a coin into a fountain — a Roman custom that lives on today (the Trevi Fountain “earns” about 1.5 million euros a year, and the money goes to charity).
• Making a wish on a shooting star — a habit at least two thousand years old.
• Breaking a wishbone — an Anglo-Saxon tradition: whoever gets the longer piece will have their wish come true.
• A dandelion — blow and let it go. If all the seeds fly away, the wish will come true. It works at any age.

What to give on Wish Day?

• A donation to Make-A-Wish — even a small amount brings someone’s wish closer to reality. It may be the most “real” gift of all.
• A Wish Jar — a beautiful jar plus a stack of paper slips. Everyone writes down a wish and drops it inside. Open it a year later.
• Fulfilling someone’s small wish — a colleague’s, a friend’s, a child’s. It does not have to be grand; sometimes a cup of coffee at the right moment means more than it seems.
• A book or film about dreams coming true — inspiration is contagious.
• A letter to your future self — with wishes for the coming year. Seal it and open it on April 29 next year.

Did you know?

The Greeks believed that the smoke from blown-out candles rose to Olympus and carried wishes to the gods. Two thousand years later, we still blow out candles on cakes — and we still believe. Maybe that is the point: a wish is the first step toward changing something. And Make-A-Wish proves that every single day.