Wishing Well Wishing Well Winter Edition 2014 | Page 2

2013 WISH STATS
In 2013 501 wishes were granted
39 wish hampers were granted
521 wish applications were received

FROM THE CEO
Welcome to another edition of
Wishing Well.

Thank you for your incredibly generous regular gifts
this financial year. Your support has made so many
wishes come true this past year. Look out for your
2013/14 financial year tax statement and survey,
which you will receive in mid-July.

We recently celebrated World Wish
Day with Aiden’s fabulous wish to
find Nemo. I’d like to thank all
those who helped to make the day
a wonderful celebration of hope,
strength and joy. World Wish Day
is about more than just one day. I’d
like to thank each of you for your
invaluable support all year round
to help make wishes come true.
Last year was a big year, as you’ll
see from the 2013 wish statistics in
this issue. Your support helped to
grant more than 500 life-changing
wishes. We are striving towards
our long-term goal of ensuring
every child with a life-threatening
condition receives a wish so as to
maximise their hope of survival
– a big goal, but with your help,
we can get there. We continued to
improve our sustainability in 2013,
returning a surplus for the first
time in many years. Such financial
stability will help grant even more
wishes in the future.
Finally, I’d like to thank those of
you who took part in our first-ever
Switch Off campaign in March.
Our staff are inspired by the
generosity and commitment of
our supporters.
We are looking forward to granting
more cherished wishes with you
over the months ahead.

Gerard Menses
CEO

CONNOR’S DAY AT THE ZOO
WAS ALL THANKS TO YOU
As we shared his story with you at Christmas time,
Connor’s wish may be familiar to you. Ever since he
was little, this 10 year-old, who has Friedreich’s ataxia,
has shared a special bond with animals. Thanks to
your generous support, his wish to be a zookeeper
was granted in February.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair much of the time now
as his illness gradually claims the use of his limbs, Connor was
determined to enjoy every minute of his wish coming true.
Thanks to your incredible support, Connor’s day of
zookeeping was one he and his family will never forget.
Connor’s itinerary was packed, including feeding lions,
patting a shark and preparing a meal for some hungry bears.
Thank you for helping to make Connor’s cherished wish
come true. Because of your generosity, the memories he
made on his day as a zookeeper will stay with him forever.