History

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® began in 1980 when a group of police officers in Phoenix, Arizona joined together to the grant the wish of 7-year-old Christopher Greicius. Chris dreamt of becoming a police officer; it was unlikely that Chris would live to fulfill his dream as he suffered from leukemia. When they learned of Chris' situation, several officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety made Chris the first and only Honorary State Trooper in Arizona history. Chris received his own custom-tailored uniform, rode in a helicopter and a patrol car, and was even allowed to write citations for jaywalking pedestrians. At the end of his adventure, Chris exclaimed, "This has been the best day of my life!" Five days later, Chris passed away and was buried in his uniform and given a police funeral with full honors.

Many of those responsible for full-filling Chris' wish wanted to do the same for other children with life-threatening medical conditions. Together, they founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since 1980, the Foundation now serves 69 chapters nationally and 28 internationally and has granted more than 148,000 wishes across the country.
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Orange County and the Inland Empire was established in 1983 with the fulfillment of 14-year-old Tamara's dream to see the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. Since then we have granted over 3,000 wishes to children in the Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.