Soon, Matthew, his parents and his three brothers were on their way to Washington D.C. to make his wish come true. He was greeted in the National Geographic lobby with a “Special Visitor” badge and the VIP treatment was just beginning. Senior Editor Kathy Moran quickly took Matthew under her wing and proceeded to give him a behind-the-scenes look beyond his biggest expectations. Kathy even took the time to look through his personal portfolio of images, telling him what she liked the most and offering constructive criticism as well.

They toured the viewing and screening rooms to see how photos are selected. In the Camera Equipment room, he met the crew who create the remote-controlled vehicles that hold the cameras used on exotic photo shoots. Matthew learned lots of tricks of the trade to help with the pursuit of his dream to be a professional photographer. Then it was time for a visit to the photo studio. Under the watchful eye of Mark Thiessen, National Geographic’s Staff Photographer, Matthew tested out the magazine’s top-of-the-line camera, snapping several funny photos of his family jumping in mid-air.

He left National Geographic Headquarters with goodie bags filled with special gifts, a swirl of photographic knowledge in his head and the biggest smile on his face.

Wish Granters: Mark Micheel & Christina Rosolia
Referred by: Lisa Milligan, his mother
Wish sponsored by: Ms. Michele Eddy
*Pictured here: Matt and family at National Geographic Headquarters; Matt with Mark Theissen and Rebecca Hale of National Geographic.

To view a video of Matthew sharing the story of his wish come true, click here.

The money will be raised by donating 15% of the sales on appetizers, TooJay’s famous black & white cookies (which will be made blue & white for the two-month campaign), and a Make-A-Wish cake.  Each restaurant will also sell the foundation’s stars, which can be personalized and posted on the wall for others to see.

“It is important that we give back to the communities that support us and we’re excited to be part of something that has life-changing impact,” said Bill Korenbaum, president of TooJay’s Gourmet Deli.  “Make-A-Wish values families like we do and each of our locations will adopt a ‘wish kid’ to share in the power of that experience.”

Make-A-Wish children are encouraged to wish for whatever they want during a difficult period in their lives to bring hope, strength and joy to themselves and their families.  Wishes usually fall into four categories: “I wish to be” (something), “I wish to meet” (someone), “I wish to go” (somewhere), and “I wish to have” (something).  The average cost of a wish is $5,000, with that entire amount underwritten by partnerships like the one with TooJay’s, special events, foundation grants, and individual contributions.  Make-A-Wish receives no federal or state funding.

“The wishes we grant bring happiness to the lives of children and the memories often provide inspiration to continue fighting against the medical problems that threaten their lives,” said Norm Wedderburn, president & CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.

Based on the locations of its restaurants, TooJay’s will grant the wishes of 13 children from Make-A-Wish’s Southern Florida chapter and 11 from Northern and Central Florida.  The company began as a modest New York-style delicatessen on the island of Palm Beach in 1981 and has grown as a result of the quality of its food, generous portions, presentation, and friendly service.

Make-A-Wish Southern Florida grants a wish to a child with a life-threatening medical condition every 16 hours and has fulfilled more than 8,000 wishes for children in its territory, which includes 13 Florida counties and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information, to make a donation, volunteer or refer a child, call (888) 773-WISH or connect at www.sfla.wish.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

What is Make-A-Wish Month?

The Inspiration Behind Make-A-Wish Month
On April 29, 2012, 62 chapters of Make-A-Wish in the United States and 36 affiliates around the world celebrated World Wish Day, the anniversary of the first wish. It was a global celebration of the wish in 1980 that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish – 7-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer. Make-A-Wish Southern Florida extended the reach of this important anniversary on a local level. By creating a month-long celebration, we further deliver our mission and make a greater impact within our local community.

Pick A Day, Adopt-A-Wish®
Anyone can share the power of a wish® and support Make-A-Wish Month. Individuals, companies and groups of all kinds are encouraged to adopt a day in support of this month-long campaign. With a $5,000 donation, you will fund a child’s entire wish and can specify which day in May is designated as your day. How you choose your designated day is up to you. You may choose to donate in honor or in memory of someone special, celebrate a loved one’s birthday or anniversary, or select your lucky number.

Benefits of Supporting Make-A-Wish Month
For showing such incredible generosity, Make-A-Wish Month donors will receive the following entitlements:    

• Invitation to a private Make-A-Wish Month Donor Celebration
• Special Facebook recognition on chosen “day”
• Special Twitter recognition on chosen “day”
• Followup story about the child’s wish
• Photos and correspondence (if available) from the wish family
• Mention in Make-A-Wish publications as an Adopt-A-Wish donor
• Mention on Make-A-Wish web site
• Inclusion on all press releases
• Potential television, radio and print mention

About Make-A-Wish Southern Florida
Our sole mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Southern Florida chapter grants a wish every 16 hours and has granted more than 8,000 wishes since
its inception 27 years ago. With the average cost of a wish being $5,000, the Foundation relies on fundraisers, corporate support
and donations from the public to bring sunshine into the lives of families when they need it most.

Support Make-A-Wish Month TODAY!
Text DONATE TO 80088 during May to make a $10 donation* to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.

For more information, please visit www.makeawishmonth.org contact Stephanie Eckert at (954) 967-9474 ext. 318 or seckert@sflawish.org or Lesley Colantonio at (239)992-9474 or lcolantonio@sflawish.org.

For a detailed listing of available packages, please click here.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. VIP tickets are also available for $40. 100% of the proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Last year’s sold out event raised enough money to grant the heartfelt wishes of 12 special children, enriching their lives with hope, strength and joy.

Don’t miss out on the chance to meet South Florida’s most eligible single men and women. Your special someone may have already RSVP-ed - don’t leave them waiting!

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dreamdateauction.net or contact Cynthia Cohen at 954-967-9474 ext. 320.