NORMAN, OKLA. – (July 17, 2009) – Thirteen-year-old Kalista dreams of becoming a super model. The fact that the teenager suffers from sickle cell anemia has done little to curb her enthusiasm for a career in front of the camera. So when the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America asked Kalista to identify a wish they could grant to her with funds provided by Luxaire®, she was quick to respond.
“Kalista wished to be a super model for a day and meet fashion photographer and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ judge, Nigel Barker,” said Erin Byers, director of program services and national sponsorships for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. “We don’t get as many ‘I wish to be’ wishes,” she continued, “which made Kalista’s wish a bit unusual. But, our feeling is, if a child can dream it up, we’re going to do all that we can to make his or her dream a reality.”
So, earlier this year, Kalista and her parents, two brothers and sister flew from Oklahoma to New York City for sightseeing, shopping and the wished-for photo shoot and meeting with Barker. However, Kalista’s celebrity treatment actually began a few days earlier when volunteers surprised her with a makeover party at the salon where she gets her hair done. There she was joined by friends, family and dancers from the Oklahoma City Thunder dance team, who celebrated Kalista’s upcoming adventure in New York.
Then, it was off to New York where Kalista and her family visited the Empire State Building. On day two she was free to enjoy a day of shopping. “We provided expense money and suggestions as to what they could do, but the itinerary for the day was theirs to create,” explained Byers.
On the third day of her four-day trip, Kalista’s wish came true. She met Nigel Barker and posed for the camera in her role as super model for the day.
This wish was made possible through Luxaire’s partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Begun in 2001, the partnership has resulted in donations exceeding $1.75 million to the largest wish-granting charity in the United States. The most recent contract between the two organizations extends the partnership into 2011 and commits $675,000 in Luxaire contributions over three years.
The Luxaire network of distributors and dealers also works with Make-A-Wish chapters to organize a variety of fundraising activities, including raffles, golf outings and events affiliated with minor league baseball, Central Hockey League and Arena Football League teams. Using money raised by these and other fundraising activities, Luxaire has directly sponsored the wishes of more than 80 children in dealer markets.
Luxaire also encourages homeowners to participate in the program by donating all or a portion of product rebates to their local Make-A-Wish chapter during spring and summer promotions of Luxaire brand products.
“We are starting to see a slowdown in donations during the past two or three months, most likely a result of the economy,” noted Byers. “Everyone is very receptive to our mission and supportive of what we do, but people just aren’t able to give or give in the same amount they have in the past. Consequently, corporate donations and contracts like the one we have with Luxaire are even more critical to our ability to continue to grant wishes to children like Kalista.”
Kalista’s trip was an overwhelming success. In a letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma she said, “My dream came true because of you! I never dreamed that it was going to be as great as it was, but thanks to you it was more than I could have ever expected. I am so glad that there are people like you in this world. You have been so kind and generous with the wishes that you grant. This wish has lit a fire under me, not only to pursue a modeling career, but to help others in any way I can.”
And that’s just what Kalista is doing. She recently modeled for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma as part of the organization’s “Wine, Women and Shoes” event in June. This three-day event paired wine tasting and seminars with speakers, a fashion show and a live auction to raise money that will help fund wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“We always try to keep our families as involved as they’d like to be before and after a wish is granted,” said Byers. “When we have something that caters to the hobbies or skills of the wish child, we often like to get in touch with them and learn whether or not they’d be interested in getting involved. In this case, we knew Kalista’s true goal in life is to become a model, so we asked her to be a part of this event and join other models from the community who participated in the fashion show.”
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the nation, with 66 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 173,000 heartfelt wishes since 1980. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org.
Luxaire® products from Johnson Controls, Inc., include high-performance residential central air-conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces and accessories and light-commercial, packaged heating and cooling systems marketed through a network of distributors and delivered to home- and building-owners through independent Luxaire heating and air conditioning dealers. For more information about Luxaire, visit www.luxairebelievesinme.com or call 877-958-9247.
Johnson Controls
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