In a press release issued on April 27, Blue Cross and Make-A-Wish Canada announced a new partnership that will see over 6,000 new travel wishes granted to wish kids and their families over the next five years.
Blue Cross will be providing gift-in-kind pledges, providing comprehensive travel insurance for wish kids and their families, making it the largest gift ever committed to Make-A-Wish Canada.
Meaghan Stovel McKnight, CEO of Make-A-Wish Canada, expressed her gratitude for this partnership on the occasion of World Wish Day.
“This year’s World Wish Day is extra special thanks to this transformational, in-kind gift announcement from Blue Cross which will allow us to begin granting international travel wishes beyond the U.S. as of April 29 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic,” she said.
This partnership comes at a time when Make-A-Wish Canada is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Blue Cross has been part of the organization’s journey for the past three decades.
“Every child should have the opportunity to experience the wonder of travel, and this pledge reinforces our ongoing commitment to Make-A-Wish Canada," said Tim Bishop, managing director of Blue Cross of Canada. "We look forward to continuing to make travel wishes a reality and supporting this wonderful organization for years to come.”
Approximately 70 percent of all granted wishes through Make-A-Wish Canada involve some form of travel, either to a destination or to meet a favourite celebrity.
However, the critical illnesses that qualify kids for a wish can also exclude them from being able to secure travel insurance.
Blue Cross's in-kind gift will ensure that thousands of travel wishes are granted over the next five years, by providing comprehensive travel insurance for wish kids and their families.
The impact of this gift was exemplified by wish mom Faiza, who was thrilled that her daughter Zoeya's wish to go to Walt Disney World was covered by Blue Cross.
“Zoeya’s had a long recovery from leukemia. Knowing we had travel insurance in place allowed us to relax and focus on our kids, who couldn’t stop smiling for the entire week," she said.
Make-A-Wish Canada also expressed its excitement about this partnership and the milestones it will allow it to reach in its pandemic recovery plan.
“An in-kind gift of this magnitude helps to remove uncertainty from the wish-granting process and takes care of a significant operational cost associated with granting wishes involving travel," said Stovel McKnight. "Being able to say ‘yes!’ to international travel wishes again is a significant milestone, and we are incredibly grateful to Blue Cross for their commitment and generosity.”
