The annual Wish Ball for Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina occurred this past weekend at the Westin Charlotte. Businessolver has long been a Make-A-Wish proud sponsor and supporter. I had the honor of attending with my wife Kristin, and fellow Solvers Eric Platz, Randy Clark, and Thia Decker and her husband Bill. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. 

It was an amazing evening and experience that I will remember for years to come. From the first moment we arrived we knew that we were here for something special; a celebration of these remarkable Wish Kids and their families. While donors provided lively entertainment with their high-stakes bidding wars it was all the kids in attendance who were the stars of the show. We met Violet a six year old pediatric cancer survivor who has appeared on “Ellen” and has the stage presence of a seasoned professional emcee. She also is a talented auctioneer who helped convince the audience to open their wallets and keep on bidding! And we met Ava with the ever present smile and princess dress who was granted her wish to go to Disney World that night. Her eyes lit up when Cinderella came on stage to greet her and tell her she’d be heading out just two days later! The boxes of Kleenex on all the dinner tables were definitely well used that night.

Incredible for sure. A remarkable experience for us all and one that makes me truly humbled to have been part of it.