Recent Events

“Wish Upon A Star” Night at the Oscars :: February 26, 2012

The Promenade Theater played host to the 4th annual Night at the Oscars for Make-A-Wish Iowa on Sunday. Crowds packed in to the theater’s lobby to enjoy food, drinks and music before the Oscars began at 7:30. Many auction items and raffle prizes were available, all to raise money for Make-A-Wish. Local entertainment reporter Bruce Miller was on hand as the evening’s emcee.  Bruce offered his insight into Hollywood stars to the evening’s guests, sharing some Hollywood gossip and giving a play-by-play of the red carpet. Many of the evenings guests have been coming to the event for the last four years, dressed in their best ‘red carpet’ outfits. The event is a great way to have fun and enjoy the Oscars while supporting Make-A-Wish Iowa.

Uncork A Wish Wine and Beer Tasting Gala :: February 25, 2012

The Uncork A Wish Wine and Beer Tasting Gala helped raise more than $28,000 for Make-A-Wish Iowa through ticket sales, a live and silent auction, a raffle for a 32” television and sponsorships by local businesses.  Local sponsors included: KCRG TV 9 Show You Care Sponsors, YellowBook USA, the Sushi House, Eells & Tronvold Law Office, and the Carlton O. Tronvold Foundation. Wine and beer samples were provided for Gala guests that night by the following sponsors: Millstream Brewery, 7G Distributing, Potosi Brewing Company, Daly Creek Winery, Cedar Ridge Winery, White Cross Cellars, and the Engelbrecht Family Winery.  Hors D’oeuvres and Dessert was provided by Martin Brothers Distributing and the Wright Touch Bake Shoppe.

Volunteer Awards Issued :: February 14, 2012
Congratulations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa award winners!

Iowa Chapter Awards Honorees- 2010-2011

• Volunteer of the Year (state-wide):  Sue Kmet, Des Moines

• Internal Fund-Raising Event of the Year:  Dubuque Gala

• Tommy Austin Award:  Jody Normandin, Dubuque

• Children Helping Children Award:  Max Meiborg, Gabrielle Dour

• Rising Star Award:  Kimberly Haas, Riverbend

• Abracadabra Award:  Jessica & Andy Miller, Merchants Bonding, Mulgrew Oil

• Leadership Award:  Barb Jacobsen, Clinton

• Cornerstone Award:  Deb Wirth, Council Bluffs

• Circle of Inspiration:  Jayden Stafford (Iowa City), Jacob Flesher (Dubuque), Randy Foster (Council Bluffs), Tyler Cross (Des Moines)

• Gold External Fund-Raising Event of the Year:  Harsco Golf

• Silver External Fund-Raising Event of the Year:  Charles Gabus Ford

• Bronze External Fund-Raising Event of the Year:  Captain’s Table Poker Run

• Internal Dinner/Auction Event of the Year/Highest % Gain:  Cedar Rapids

• Internal Dinner/Auction Event of the Year/Highest Dollar Gain:  Cedar Rapids

• Internal Golf Events Of the Year/Highest % Increase:  Mason City

• New External Event of the Year: Battle of the Badges, Mason City

• Walk for Wishes Event of the Year: Dubuque Committee

• Des Moines Area Volunteer of the Year:  Jewel Condon

• Ames Area Volunteer of the Year:  Judi Eyles

• Sioux City Area Volunteer of the Year:  Lyndsay Chapman

• Mason City Area Volunteer of the Year:  Dalena Barz

• Cedar Valley Volunteer of the Year:  Jessica Miller

• Council Bluffs Area Volunteer of the Year:  Frank Hansen

• Iowa City Area Volunteer of the Year:  Bradley Lown

• Cedar Rapids Area Volunteer of the Year-Andrea Murphy

• Dubuque Area Volunteer of the Year- Eliza Cole

• Riverbend Area Volunteer of the Year- Loni Lee

• Burlington Area Volunteer of the Year- Sherry Boeding

Women for Wish Kids Cedar Rapids :: February 9, 2012
Women in Cedar Rapids gathered for updates on the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s work and hear from an area wish mom. At the February event, Wish Mom Jennifer Olsen spoke about her son Will’s wish to go to Las Angeles and meet Pee Wee Herman.  The event raises money through a $25 admission that includes wine and appetizers

Share the Power of a Wish Gala :: February 4, 2012

The annual Riverbend Committee dinner, dance and auction, sponsored by Mutual Med and Northwestern Mutual, was held February 4th 2012 at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, IA.  The theme of the event this year was Secret Garden.  Many wish families were in attendance for the evening which made the night even more special, since these are the people the event is all about.  The event included a silent and live auction with items donated by many local businesses and individuals.  The live auction ended with our Adopt-A-Wish portion of the evening which raised more than $87,000.  Overall the Riverbend Committee had another amazing event raising a net profit of more than $180,000.

Battle of the Badges and Make-A-Wish Night at the North Iowa Bulls :: January 21st and 28th, 2012
The Battle of the Badges hockey game, featuring the Cerro Gordo County Police vs. the County Firefighters, is quickly becoming THE winter event in Mason City. More than 1,200 fans packed into the North Iowa Ice Arena for the showdown. The law enforcement team came out on top in the game, but the real winners were the wish kids who got to go out on the ice and drop the first puck and those that will benefit from more than $15,000 that was raised.

The following weekend the North Iowa Bulls got in on the action by raffling off their jerseys to benefit Make-A-Wish. The team received a standing ovation as they began to raffle off their custom Make-A-Wish jerseys presented by Dennis VanGorkom of Corporate Farmer. In total they were able to raise more than $5,800 dollars, enough to grant a wish of a very deserving child.

Des Moines Area Volunteer Network Social :: January 19, 2012
Raccoon River’s “River Room” was filled with potential new volunteers and seasoned veterans alike, all showing their support for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa. Wish parent Christi Burgess spoke to the crowd to explain what the Make-A-Wish Foundation did for her and why she decided to volunteer.

Women for Wish Kids Des Moines :: January 12, 2012
Women for Wish Kids is an after work social event for women who are interested in supporting the mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa. At the event, women receive updates on what is happening with the Make-A-Wish Foundation state-wide and locally. Wish Mom Christy Burgess spoke about her daughter Jenna’s wish to go to Hawaii and swim with the dolphins. Cost to attend the event was $25 and included wine and appetizers.

Tina’s Dance Studio Holiday Spectacular :: December 17, 2011

Young students from Tina’s Dance Studio performed their holiday classics for audiences at a 10 am and 1 pm show.  Admission was free and donations were accepted at the door.  Additionally, huge gift baskets were raffled off and a cookie walk was held, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Make-A-WIsh Iowa.  Local corporate sponsors help make the event possible through funding of the facility and other needs.  Highlights of the day included a special appearance by the National Champion Diva Dance Co. performing their “Rockette style” dance and a surprise visit by Santa!

Intern’s Work Earns Scholarship :: December 13, 2011
Intern Paige Zeschke was just awarded a $1,450 scholarship from the Robert and Yvonne Koob Fund for Student Community involvement.  Paige help to create a video to using during presentations to businesses in the Cedar Valley. Congratulations, Paige!

Star Wars Night at the Sioux City Muskies :: December 11, 2011
Kevin McGarry of the 501st Legion in Sioux City organized an opportunity to bring many joy to many children, by meeting charcters from the Star Wars movies live at the Sioux City Muskies game. Many families came out to see Darth Vader drop the first puck and get their photos taken with the characters.

Flippin’ for Wishes :: December  10, 2011
Northern Iowa Wishmakers on Campus put on another fundraising event to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa on Saturday, December 10th.  More than thirty volunteers were on hand by 5:30am to help facilitate an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at Hu Hot for the Cedar Falls community. More than 200 people showed up for the breakfast and raised $1,600.

Polar Bear Dip :: December 4, 2011
Polar Bear Dip is an external event in Clear Lake to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Toys for Tots. For the last few years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation team has led in raising the most money and being the biggest team. Participants raise money by getting pledges from people who support you “dipping” inthe lake in the middle of winter.

Breakfast with Santa :: December 3, 2011
Breakfast with Santa is a family friendly event where families can come and enjoy breakfast, face painting, cookie decorating, coloring and visiting Santa, who was also available for pictures. Money was raised through an admission fee, photos with Santa, small raffle items and general donations. Quaker Steak & Lube was the host and sponsor of this event.

Sioux City Holiday Lighting Contest :: December 2011
Individuals and neighborhoods alike participated in a contest to determine whose home would take the “Clark Griswold” honors. Participants paid an entry fee that went to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Black Bear Diner Holiday Partnership :: December 2011
Black Bear Diner engages in a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation on a national level each December to help raise money and awareness for children with life-threatening medical conditions. This year, the Black Bear staff sold Make-A-Wish stars and hung them in the entryways, creating a competition between the two stores in Sioux City. Both stores also donated a portion of the proceeds of a signature dessert to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Black Bear Diner is a consistent supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission, hosting many events and meetings for Sioux City volunteers and wish families.

Jolly Holiday Lights :: November 22, 2011 - January 1, 2012
Jolly Holiday Lights is 3.2 miles of lgiht displays at Water Works Park in Des Moines. Money raised by ticket sales, sales in the wish shop, sale of promotional CDs, sponsorship of the event and general donations. This is an internal event planned by a key group of people on a steering committee: Cheri Brichetto, Al Knudsen, Joe and Tammy Bechen, Tammy Watts, Ann Hudson, Lorri and Greg Reed, Eric Snedeker, Terri Catron and Joe Rivas.

Jolly Holiday Lights Sponsor Party :: November 21, 2011

KCCI’s Cynthia Fodor with wish child, Tyler, and Michael Moody of the Des Moines Police Department’s SWAT team a the Jolly Holiday Lights Sponsor Party.

The annual Jolly Holiday Lights Sponsor Party, presented by Hy-Vee, was held Monday, Nov 21st at the Water Works Administration Building in Des Moines.  Cynthia Fodor of KCCI was the acting Master of Ceremonies.  Those honored at this event included: Corporate Sponsor Hy-Vee Food Stores, Tour de Lights Sponsor Rowe Electronics, Light Display Sponsors, Star Sponsors, and the JHL Steering Committee and set Up Crew.  Major in-kind sponsors Innova Ideas and Services, KCCI, Lite 104.1, The Des Moines Register, Beeline and Blue and Sonic Factory Studios were also honored. After the party, the sponsors were taken on a private tour of the lights. Visit our Jolly Holiday Lights page for more information on that event.

Tour de Lights :: November 20, 2011

Walkers, bikers and runners came together on November 20th, 2011 at Tour de Lights, sponsored by Rowe Electronics.  In its 11th year, this internal fundraising event that gives the public a special preview of Jolly Holiday Lights before it opens to the public.  Money is raised through entry fees and t-shirt sales, as well as a small 50/50 raffle, which was held at the El Bait Shop in Des Moines.  Contests were held for best costume, best decorated bike, best decorated tandem bike and best dressed dog.  A pizza party will also be awarded to the team that raised the most money.  A special thank you to our sponsor, Rowe Electronics and to Full Court Press, specifically El Bait Shop, for the support given to Tour de Lights!

Women for Wish Kids Cedar Rapids :: November 10, 2011
Wish Mom Jennifer Olsen spoke about her son Reed’s wish to visit the USA Olympic Basketball team. Women from the Cedar Rapids area gathered at The Campbell Steele Art Gallery in Marion, Iowa. Cost to attend the event was $25 and included wine and appetizers.

Bonefish Grill Volunteer Networking Fundraiser :: October 27, 2011
Bonefish Grill’s pomegranate martini and Bang Bang shrimp were a huge hit without Make-A-Wish Foundation supporters and many guests who attended this Volunteer Networking fundraiser. Many guests participated in the raffle for Iowa Energy tickets and a night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Burlington Walk for Wishes :: October 9, 2011
Approximately 100 people, including 8 wish children and their families, attended Walk for Wishes on October 9th in Crapo Park in Burlington.  This was the Southeast Iowa Committee’s 3rd annual Walk for Wishes. The Honorary Chair Family was the DeWitt Family, who raised money for MAW in honor of Yvonne DeWitt, whose daughter was a wish child.

Money was raised by walk teams, a raffle, donations and a silent auction.   Festivities included a hot dog lunch provided by Hy-Vee, popcorn, snacks, ice cream cones provided by Iowa State Bank, a D.J. donated by Pritchard Broadcasting, Buzz the Bee from the Burlington Bees baseball team, a bounce house and children’s activities. Student volunteers from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant and Notre Dame High School in Burlington were a fantastic help.

Key sponsors were:  U.S. Gypsum, Shottenkirk Automotive Group, Climax Molybdenum, HyVee, Ft. Madison Family YMCA, Alliant Energy, Big River Resources, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Running Wild, Silgan Containers, Breuer Agency, Cleveland Dermatology, Bob Dodds Insurance Agency, Air Choice One, Cryotec Deicing Technologies, Kempker’s True Value Hardware/Just Ask Rental, DuPont Ft. Madison, George Gaudette/Shared Visions, Donnellson Chiropractic.

2nd Annual Cedar Rapids Fire Department Fire Bowl :: October 9, 2011
The CRFD Fire Bowl is a charity 7-on-7 flag football tournament that raises money for local children’s organizations.  The purpose of our event is to raise money that directly impacts on the physical, mental and social well-being of children living in Eastern Iowa.  The ‘Fire Bowl’ is hosted by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department and is the culmination of the hard working volunteer efforts of the departments’ employees.  This year we had 10 teams competing for the Make-A-Wish Foundation; Cedar Rapids Fire, Iowa City Fire, North Liberty Fire, Marion Fire/Police, Hiawatha Fire, Mason City Fire, Area Ambulance, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, University of Iowa Emergency Department and the St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Department.  North Liberty Fire took home the championship trophy; Linn County Sheriff’s Office 2nd and Cedar Rapids Fire 3rd.

This year the event was proudly sponsored by Coe College and St. Luke’s Hospital.  There were also partner sponsorships with: East Central Iowa Acute Care, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co., Cedar Rapids Fire Local 11, Nextera Energy, Iowa City Fire Local 610, McGrath Automotive, MetroSportsReport, Christina Kroemer Graphic Design, Police and Firemen’s Police Insurance, Ryan Companies, Station 7 Studios, University of Iowa Community Credit Union and Van Meter Inc.

Money for the event was raised through sponsor donations, raffle sales and event t-shirt sales, as well as a $250 team entry fee.  In just their second year, they were able to raise more than three times the amount of their first event in 2010!

Dubuque Walk for Wishes Event :: October 2, 2011

The Dubuque Area Walk for Wishes and Run was a huge success thanks to more than 150  walkers and runners, and our generous sponsors, Sedgewick, the McCoy Group, The Telegraph Herald, Conlon Construction, and Union-Hoerman.
This 2nd annual event raised more than $27,000.00.  Wish families and their friends and relatives, along with Make-A-Wish supporters from the Dubuque area were treated to food, drinks, balloon animals, and music.  A great time was had by all!

A special thanks goes out to those who donated their time, talents, and merchandise: New White Florist, Big Apple Bagel, Funny Gal Photography - Guttenberg, DJ - Kevin Kowal, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Dubuque Fire Department and Balloon Artist - Bob Beardsley.

Des Moines Walk for Wishes :: October 1, 2011
Participants at the Des Moines Walk for Wishes raised money individually and purchased raffle tickets at the event in Water Works Park in Des Moines.
Council Bluffs Walk for Wishes :: September 24, 2011
The Council Bluffs Walk for Wishes took place at Iowa Western Community College and had 1 mile and 5K options. Participants raised money through registration fees and pledges. 

Sigma Pi Makes Wishes Come True

Pictured are members of the Sigma Pi, University of Iowa Chapter; Rob Kelly, CEO; Randy Roth, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa Board Member

A Fellowship of kindred minds united in brotherhood, that is the mission of the Sigma Pi Fraternity.  The University of Iowa Chapter recently took brotherhood and teamwork to a whole new level!  Working together the members of Sigma Pi focused on making a positive impact on the lives of Iowa children with life threatening medical conditions.  They conducted a flag football tournament that raised funds to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Iowa.  Over 30 teams participated representing all sororities at the University of Iowa.  This was a single elimination tournament attended by over 400 people.  The Sigma Pi members sold tank tops as a means of increasing their fundraising efforts.  The flag football tournament was a creative way to bring fun to the campus and smiles to children in need.  This is just one example of Sigma Pi’s commitment to the community and dedication to philanthropy.  Congratulations to the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority who were crowned champions of the tournament!

Sigma Pi Fraternity at The University of Iowa is comprised of over 80 undergraduate members, and multiple alumni volunteers who work every day to further the ideals and values of a true fraternity man. Members excel in academics, participate in intramural sports, give back to their community through Habitat for Humanity, and promote a growing Greek community on campus by attending philanthropic events and donating time and money to local causes. Sigma Pi also hosts an annual ACE Project, (The Altruistic Campus Experience) an event unique to their fraternity, and every year give back to The University’s campus life in different ways. The undergraduate brothers look forward to partnering with The Make-A-Wish Foundation for many years to come, and hope that together, we can help make many wishes come true!

Iowa City Walk for Wishes :: August 28, 2011

The Iowa City Walk for Wishes, an internal event, took place on August 28th at Iowa City City Park.  Tim Dwight was the Honorary Chair for this year’s walk.  Hy-Vee donated hot dogs, chips, water, and bananas, Caribou Coffee provided coffee, and Panera Bread donated bagels.  A raffle was held, but most proceeds came from walkers who registered the day of the event.  Cumulus and ClearChannel radio stations donated PSA air time and interview slots, the Gazette ran an article prior to the event, and KCRG-TV9 gave us Show You Care support with commercial time, a weekend morning interview slot, and a morning mug-shot slot all prior to the event.

Red & Blue Softball Benefit :: August 27, 2011
Thanks to Gary Lang, Rod Silvers and the Urbandale Police & Fire Departments for another successful Red & Blue Softball Benefit. Over 12 teams of fire, police, prosecutors and other supporters participated enabling this amazing group to adopt Patrick’s wish. Patrick played softball alongside his Red & Blue friends and will be going to the Monster Truck Championship in Las Vegas for his wish!

Marsh Charity Golf Outing :: August 15, 2011
On August 15th, Marsh had a charity golf outing at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines with some of its proceeds going to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa. Marsh invited customers from all over the US to take part in the outing. Wish Child Elise attended the lunch before the start of the outing and Wish Child Kelsey joined the group for dinner.

Fishin’ for Wishes :: August 6, 2011

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa Board Member Scott Steinkritz (front right) is joined by tournament participants and award recipients.

Share the Power of a Wish^®!  That’s exactly what happened when supporters cast their fishing lines at the Iowa Premier Bass Charity Tournament held in August.  This event, led by Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Iowa board member Scott Steinkritz, benefitted the Iowa Chapter.  A huge turnout filled Lake Rathbun on a summer day ideal for fishing.  The event was made possible thanks to the support of several amazing sponsors including Slycord Electric, Scheels, Sam and Al’s Inc., and Killen Concrete.  In its first year this event was so successful it raised enough funds to sponsor a wish for a very deserving Iowa child.  Congratulations to Scott, our sponsors and all those who participated.  Thank you for making wishes come true!

Meskwaki Fountain Helps Make Wishes Come True

When you toss a coin into a fountain it’s considered good luck to wish on that coin. Guests of the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel have been wishing on coins as they toss them in the water fountains located at the entrance of the casino. Instead of leaving the coins soaking in the fountain, Meskwaki collected the coins and donated them to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa. Not only did they donate all the coins, totaling $1,789.89, but Meskwaki generously matched that amount for a total donation of $3,579.78!
Captain’s Table Poker Run :: July 16, 2011
On July 16th the Captain’s Table Poker Run took place. You could boat, drive, ride or pedal to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundations® of Iowa and Illinois. Many thanks to all of the Captain’s Table Poker Run volunteers for the countless hours spent organizing a great community event. This event raised over $30,000.

Grady Paul Larson Softball Tournament :: July 16, 2011
The 10th Annual Grady Paul Larson Memorial Softball Benefit was held on July 16th in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The proceeds will be used for the Adopt-A-Wish® program. Some of the Cedar Rapids Kernels players took photos, signed autographs and played catch with some of the children who attended. For more information, please go to www.gplfoundation.org.

Mason Mitchell Shares Winnings
Mason Mitchell, a 17-year-old race car driver on the ASA Midwest Tour is racing for wishes! Mason will generously donate a percentage of his winnings in 2011 to help grant wishes for Iowa children. He also invited wish children to attend a race at Iowa Speedway so they could cheer him on to victory. Mason has finished in the top 5 in every event thus far…go for the checkered flag Mason, and thanks for all you do for our wish kids!
Gabus Auto Group Summer Sales Event
Thank you Gabus Auto Group for your generous donation of $22,000 during your summer sales event. You are making wishes comes true for our amazing wish children!
Harsco Golf
Harsco Golf had another very successful golf tournament in Eastern Iowa. The event hosted a full field of golfers (144) and raised just over $30,000. Way to go!

Hy-Vee Car Show :: July 9, 2011
The Hy-Vee Car Show was held in Sioux City on July 9th. This event is a car show with a raffle that benefits Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa. Thank you to all participants of this annual event.

Mickey Finn’s :: July 4, 2011
Many people spent the 4th of July at Mickey Finn’s in Urbandale helping to dunk our CEO, Rob Kelly and long-time volunteer, Tammy Bechen, in the Dunk Tank. All the money raised went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa. Thank you Mickey Finn’s for your continued support each year.

ITC Midwest :: June 2011
ITC Midwest had a casual day fundraiser in the month of June raising $4,400; they plan on making this an annual event. They held a celebration picnic attended by many employees, as well as Wish Child Jayden and Wish Mom, Shelli. Carol TeBockhorst was also in attendance representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa.
Diamond Jo Casino :: June 24, 2011
On June 24th, the Diamond Jo Casino in North Iowa hosted a free concert featuring the Little River Band. The kind individuals at Diamond Jo invited the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa’s North Iowa volunteers to come and sell raffle tickets and accept free will donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa!

Smashburger Grand Opening
Smashburger opened a new store in Council Bluffs, Iowa and hosted a VIP event for their grand opening which benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa. Wish Child, Gracie, and local celebrity Crash Davis were on hand to make the first “smash” of the night. Thank you to everyone at Smashburger for their generosity.
 

Indee’s Cruisemeisters :: June 4, 2011
Once again the Indee’s Cruisemeisters came out in full force to support our wish children. The 6th Annual Riverwalk Cruise held in Independence, Iowa was a huge success raising $7,000 to help grant wishes of Iowa children. The festivities included a 69 mile two-way cruise of classic cars and motorcycles, a kid’s tractor pull and live music along with lots of laughs. Thank you to Jerry and Vonnie Hoskins and all the amazing Indee’s CruiseMeisters for making wishes come true!

Applebees Auction
Applebees in Council Bluffs continues to be a supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa. Most recently, during the remodel of their store, they decided to auction off all the artifacts on their walls with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa! This was a very successful event and we extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone at Applebees in Council Bluffs!

5 Fun Friends 9 Pin Bowling Tournament :: March 5, 2011
The 5 Fun Friends Bowling Team chose the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa to benefit from their 9 pin bowling tournament. The sold out event took place on March 5th at the bowling alley in Mason City, Iowa. This was a wonderful event attended by many and we give many thanks to the 5 Friends Bowling Team for their support.

Uncork-A-Wish:: February 26, 2011
The Cedar Rapids Committee held its Uncork-A-Wish, wine and beer tasting event on February 26, 2011 at the Mercy Medical Center-Hallagan Education Center.  Lew Montgomery, University of Iowa fottball star and wish parent, was host for the evening.  We celebrated our guest wish family, Dale and Sara Todd and wish child Adam.  Local and national wine and beer were sampled along with appetizers.  The event included a silent and live auction.  Guests were entertained by the Nick George Jazz Trio.  Our sincere thanks go out to our wish children and their families as well as our amazing Cedar Rapids Committee volunteers and supporters for delivering a wonderful evening honoring our wish children!

Red Hot Gala :: February 12, 2011 at the Hotel Julien in Dubuque

The Dubuque Committee held a Red Hot Gala – black and red themed event – at the Hotel Julien on February 12, 2011.  This is the 8th annual gala the Dubuque Committee has put together, but this year, they tried a new format, moving away from a sit-down dinner and toward heavy appetizers.  A happy hour, included with the cost of the ticket, was offered from 5:00-6:00 pm.  Tickets sold for $35 each.

Becca Habegger from KWWL emceed the event and Shelly Bostic (sons Andrew and Austin) was our Wish Family speaker.  Andrew took over the microphone when Shelly could no longer hold back the tears.  Jim Markham was our live auction auctioneer and Andrew again stepped in to auction off an item.

A raffle was held for an iPad, Kinect, and Kindle.  Money was also raised through two sets of auction items, closing them at different times, and a photo booth which we charged $5 for a strip of photos and ($4.50 of this went to the Make-A-Wish).  Thank you to our many sponsors and the members of the Dubuque Area Committee for hosting this event!

Pictured above is Jim Normandin (Board Member), Rob Kelly (President & CEO), Lynn Milligan (Sponsorships Manager) with guest Kristin Woodward.
Share the Power of a Wish Riverbend Committee Gala :: February 5, 2011 at the Davenport River Center
The Share the Power of a Wish gala was held at the Davenport River Center on February 5, 2011 with a candy theme.  In keeping with the idea that the night is all about the kids, the forty wish children in attendance had their picture taken with a “golden ticket” at check-in, which was a big hit.  Overall attendance at the event was 680.

Money was raised through a silent and live auctions, a raffle for a net book & Cubs tickets, purchases of cookie bouquet table centerpieces, reservations, sponsorship, and through Adopt-A-Wish sponsorships. Overall, it was a fun evening and a great success as always!

Thank you to our gala chair, Dan Konrardy and co-chair, Carrie Dudley.  Also, a big thank you to our sponsors Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Mutual Med.
 

Mason City’s Battle of the Badges :: January 29th, 2011 at North Iowa Ice Arena
The last Saturday in January, the Mason City Police and Fire Departments faced off on the ice in their first Battle of the Badges fundraising event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa.  The event was a huge success both in raising money and bringing the community together to grant wishes!

For a full review, read the Mason City Globe Gazette’s article on the event.
Des Moines Area Volunteer Network Meeting :: January 27th, 2011 at Smokey D’s
About thirty people came out to Smokey D’s Restaurant on the north-side of Des Moines to get together for social time, awesome appetizers and to learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa and how they can help in the future.  It was awesome to see seasoned volunteers, relatively new volunteers and people who are just learning about the Make-A-Wish Foundation