Make-A-Wish Mid-South, the regional chapter of the nonprofit that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness, has announced a new partnership with the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.
As part of the Wishes are Waiting campaign, the Walker Foundation has agreed to match donations, dollar for dollar, up to $500,000 over the next two years.
“Every child deserves to be a child,” Mandy Macke, executive director of the Walker Foundation, said in a news release. “They deserve to have happiness and hope for a better today and a healthier tomorrow. The Walker Foundation is pleased to play a small role in that journey.”
Willard Walker was an executive at Walmart when it went public, making a fortune as one of the company’s first shareholders. Over the years, he and his wife Pat gave millions to Arkansas organizations with charitable, religious, scientific, literary or educational goals. They started their nonprofit foundation in 1986.
The Wishes Are Waiting campaign, chaired by northwest Arkansas regional board member Danyelle Musselman, is supported by donors who make a gift of $10,000 or more.
The effort launched in 2022 under Musselman’s leadership and aims to raise an additional $1 million beyond the annual budget over the course of three years.
At the end of fiscal year 2024, Make-A-Wish Mid-South aims to raise $4.3 million and grant 315 wishes annually.
“I’ve seen firsthand the value and impact of wishes,” Musselman said in the release. “The Make-A-Wish mission is one I hold very dear to my heart. I believe that wishes truly can be a turning point for kids battling critical illnesses.”
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