My post today will in fact talk about estate planning, but I’d like to tell you about the amazing, long-lasting effects that charitable giving can have when it is part of your estate plan. I have the privilege of serving as a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona. This gives me the opportunity to meet and visit with children and teenagers from the ages of 2 to 18 who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. I then have the awesome assignment of talking to the kids to help them determine what their one, true wish is – afterwards working with the Arizona Chapter of Make-A-Wish to make that wish a reality.
I’d like to share a brief story with you about my latest Wish Kid. Brian (name changed for confidentiality) is a 13 year old boy from Mesa, Arizona. He has a debilitating illness but you would never know that from his attitude. We soon discovered that his one true wish was to meet a particular female teen celebrity (Name withheld due to Make-A-Wish and celebrity policy). We were thrilled to take that wish back to the Arizona Chapter to see what could be done. Brian was later informed that while he could meet her in the future, her schedule would not allow it to happen for over a year. You can imagine that he was sad about that, but still felt a surge of hope and excitement knowing that one day he would meet her.
However, Brian’s luck changed quickly when the celebrity found a way to grant 13 wishes all at the same time! There were twelve other Wish Kids from around the country that wanted to meet her and she made it work — and we had two weeks notice!
The Foundation got everything prepped and Brian, his mother, grandmother, and two siblings were soon on a plane to California to meet the celebrity. He was literally treated as royalty every step of the way – from a limo ride to the airport, excellent treatment from the airline, transportation waiting for them at the destination, and a first class hotel stay. I was so excited to hear about the wish when Brian came back. I had the chance to meet him and his family at the airport upon their return and you should have seen his face when he talked about the experience — grinning from ear-to-ear, nonstop! He was so full of life, energy and joy for having had the chance to meet the celebrity — he was even brave enough to tell her that she is “the woman of [his] dreams!”
This is just a brief glimpse at the work that one of Arizona’s finest charities does for a kid in need. And charities like Make-A-Wish do not receive funds from the government — wishes like these are made possible because of donors making gifts throughout their lifetime, donors gifting their frequent flyer miles, or donors making a charity part of their estate plan. If you would like to learn about ways you, too, can make wishes like this a reality for kids in need, or to support any other charity of your choice, please come in for a free consultation. I’d love to tell you how you can make it happen.
To schedule your free consultation, call us today at 888.222.1328.
About Morris Hall:
At Morris Hall, we have focused our legal practice on estate planning for over 40 years. Along with estate planning, our attorneys help clients and their families with matters of probate, trust administration, wills, power of attorneys, business planning, succession planning, legacy planning, charitable gifting and other important legal aspects. We also have divisions in financial, real estate and accounting to help you incorporate all of your planning together, ensuring that everything works perfectly for your needs and situation. Our Arizona offices are located in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff and Arrowhead. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
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