Make-A-Wish Homecoming Celebration
At the Make-A-Wish Homecoming Event, people from all over middle Tennessee gathered to celebrate the opening of Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee’s new home at The Compassion Collaborative. The Compassion Collaborative gives Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee a place with more space which provides the opportunity for more staff and more wish granting. Wish Kids, Wish Families, friends, and partners came together to celebrate the exciting new chapter for this amazing organization. Champagne, fried macaroni & cheese balls, and steak & biscuits were some of the delicious selections served while laughter and joy could be heard across the entirety of the new office space.
During the event, a brief presentation was given by the board and staff. Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee’s Founding Board Member, Ben Hanback, told the incredible tale of how the organization was left $90,000 by a farmer from Columbia, Tennessee, who had no surviving family. Since the founders of this chapter of Make-A-Wish had no one to thank for this gift, they have made it their chapter’s goal to always remember to thank everyone who has helped them along the way. Board Chair, Sue Ann Hemphill, thanked everyone for attending and toasted to the CEO for her incredible work of breathing new life into this organization.
The microphone was then turned over to the CEO, Beth Torres, who began a new tradition that they will have at every Make-A-Wish event. She rolled out a blue carpet and invited every Wish Kid in attendance to join her on stage. Beth announced them one by one and shared their wishes with the attendees. The final Wish Kid invited on stage, Colby, was waiting for his wish to meet Lionel Messi, the world-renowned professional soccer player. She told Colby his wish had been granted, and he would be able to meet Messi, but he would have to wait until the next season. To make the wait more bearable, Nashville Soccer Club players, Connor Sparrow and Taylor Brennan Washington, presented Colby and his family with invitations to their next game at Nissan Stadium on July 27, 2019. Sparrow and Washington invited Colby to be honorary captain of the team at the game. Colby will be in the locker room before the game and on the field during warm-up. The look on Colby’s face said it all and there was not a dry eye in the room.
Our partnership with Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee is so incredible and FranklinIs is excited to continue to support this amazing organization.
