A Hero’s Welcome!

Coming home to a hero’s welcome is a quite a privilege. It’s reserved for some of life’s most special moments.

Crossing a finish line after riding 300 miles from Traverse City to Chelsea to help grant wishes to amazing Michigan kids, well that’s one of those moments.

The Wish-A-Mile 300 Bicycle Tour (WAM) on July 22-25 will have 800 riders over 3 days riding for one reason and that’s to put a smile on the faces of children who have lost that smile because of a cruel medical diagnosis. Because of the dedication of our riders – many who return year after year – these kids will have a joyous wish experience that will last a lifetime. And that joy is often the best medicine ever!

There are a lot of heroes on the WAM tour. There are riders of course and volunteers. There are sponsors and there are the many donors who support our riders. That’s how wishes get granted. But the real heroes are who we call our Wish Heroes. These are the dozens of wish children – many who have gone on their wishes and many who are anxiously awaiting their wishes – who greet the riders when they finish the 3-day tour.

Waiting for the riders with a medal and smile and always a hug, the children give the riders what’s most important – the love and thankful embrace for giving and caring and making dreams possible.

Our Wish Heroes have amazing stories, stories like Nicholas . Nicholas was diagnosed with Wilms, a form of pediatric kidney cancer. At only 4-years-old, all he wanted was a playground in his backyard to go to during his chemotherapy treatments because he didn’t have any place to play while he was sick. One of the best memories of his wish was how Nicholas got to “help” the builders. The wish helped to heal Nicholas, but his mom said it also healed the whole family.

For Keyan, this amazing little girl wanted to sing with Ariel. At 3-years-old, that was her magical wish. So off to Walt Disney World® Resort she went!

Keyan has Cerebral Palsy with severe chronic lung disease. Last year she spent her birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the hospital. For Keyan’s family, the gift of her wish, the gift of time with their amazing daughter has given them memories that carry them through the darkest days and their gratitude can’t be measured. The family spends a lot of time apart because of hospitalizations so the memories of Keyan dancing and singing on stage at Give Kids The World will stay forever with her family and with Keyan.

And there’s Derrick.  Derrick, diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia also wished for a magical Disney adventure. At 4 years old, Barney and Mickey Mouse are pretty high on the list for Derrick! Meeting Barney was quite a sight for his family!

Derrick’s grandmother said that seeing Derrick put sickness aside and just seeing him laugh was wonderful. She said Derrick meeting Barney was priceless. Just a trip of a lifetime for a little boy so deserving of joy.

When the riders cross the finish line, these are the memories that are in the minds of the Wish Heroes as they place a medal over the heads of their riders. They will give a hug and big thank you. But the glow of the medal is hard to miss. It’s shining bright with joy and gratitude for our Make-A-Wish family of heroes!

Meet all 50 of our Wish Heroes!
View more WAM and Hero Hurrah photos!

Join the tour as WAM 300 mile or WAM 50 mile rider!
Join the tour as a volunteer!