252 – that is how many times the Sky Tower will pulsate in blue from 8pm tonight – one pulse for each of the 252 children on the waiting list at Make-A-Wish.

While medical conditions didn’t stop during the past two years as New Zealand grappled with COVID-19, it did delay children getting all-but urgent medical help. As New Zealand has moved to the orange setting in the COVID Protection Framework, there has been a significant increase in wish applications to Make-A-Wish, at a time when donations are down due to the impacts of the pandemic.

“It is heartbreaking to think that children who have critical conditions have had their wish impacted, and now we have had an increase of wishes meaning we need donations now more than ever,” Pam Elgar, Make-A-Wish CEO says.

“There are 252 active wish applications. Last year we were able to deliver 138 wishes. We don’t want to leave children waiting to have their wish come true!”

Tomorrow [Friday, April 29], marks World Wish Day, with New Zealand one of the first countries in the world to mark the of the first wish being granted, in the United States 43 years ago.

To acknowledge that milestone the Sky Tower will pulsate blue from 8pm [Thursday] to 7am Friday – World Wish Day.

And for the first time ever, Eden Park will also be lit in blue to raise awareness of the charity that relies on donations to create lifelong memories.

“Wishes can be varied by a child’s imagination and can range from a bedroom makeover to electronics that help the child stay connected to friends and family during prolonged hospital stays, or it can be a chance to meet a celebrity or sports star,” Pam says.

“A significant part of the wish journey is the anticipation – and as New Zealand has moved to the orange setting, we have suddenly been inundated with requests. Now we need New Zealand’s help to bring joy to a child during what can be often challenging times.”

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