WHY WISHES MATTER
Dear Friends,
We can’t believe that another year of granting wishes has gone by! This year, Make-A-Wish® Colorado
granted 240 wishes to children all over the state, and it’s because of supporters like you that these wishes
were granted.
We recently adopted the phrase, ‘Wishes Matter’, to describe what we do at Make-A-Wish Colorado.
Yes, we grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, but the real question is, ‘why do
they matter’?
Take Jack’s wish for example: Jack is seven years old and a fan of superheroes. For his wish, he wanted to become his
own superhero, Green Blaze, and save Denver from mischief. It took an entire community to grant Jack’s wish – from
Governor Hickenlooper and Olympic athletes to RTD bus drivers and Union Station employees. You can read more about
Jack’s wish on page four of this newsletter.
Jack’s wish is just one example of the many wishes we grant at Make-A-Wish Colorado. Every wish experience is tailored to that specific child and
his/her needs and desires. But wishes are more than just a week-long vacation or becoming a superhero for a day. Wishes matter because of the
hope they give to not only the children going through a life-threatening medical condition, but the families as well. Wishes matter because they
can be a source of the strength and courage it takes to fight an illness. Wishes matter because of the joy created from a memorable, monumental
experience that will last a lifetime. Jack’s wish may be over, but he will continue to be Denver’s superhero forever.
Thank you for supporting Make-A-Wish Colorado and helping grant wishes like Jack’s to children fighting overwhelming odds. Wishes are possible
because of supporters like you and will continue to matter because of the hope, strength and joy they bring to families throughout Colorado.
Warm Wishes,
Joan Mazak Dennis Brown
Founder, President and CEO
Chairman of the Board
Staff
Joan Mazak, President & CEO
Marilyn Tillery, Vice President of
Operations
Patti Forsythe, Director of Events &
Promotions
Jennifer Mace-Walton, Director of
Wish Granting
Teresa Pusztai, Director of
Philanthropy
Becky Schilling, Director of Volunteers
Shawn Bernal, Sr. Systems Analyst
Lauren Beede, Associate Director of
Philanthropy
Ashlee Carey, Kids For Wish Kids®/
Workplace Giving Manager
Jennifer Getsch, Wish Coordinator
LuAnn Griffin, Wish Coordinator
2 ∙ Wish Colorado | 2014 – 2015
Board of Directors
Jamie Castle, Wish Coordinator/
Administrative Assistant
Jeff Krebs, Associate Director of
Philanthropy
Natasha Silensky, Communications
Manager
Laurie Nielsen, Database Manager
Kiki Peisach, Referral Wish Granter
Coordinator
Linda Turner, Gift-Processing
Manager
Alyssa Welch, Wish Coordinator
Stacie Winslow, Auction
Coordinator/Sponsorship
Acquisition
Dennis Brown, Chairman, Holland &
Hart, LLP
Scott Esmond, Vice-Chairman,
EffectiveUI
Gary Poling, Treasurer, True North
Capital Group, Inc.
Gary Aboussie, The Colorado Group,
Inc.
Doug Askam, EKS&H LLLP
Sara Bittorf, Boston Market
Marti Brust, UMB Bank Colorado, N.A.
Tomago Collins, Kroenke Sports &
Entertainment
Seth Katz, Burg Simpson Eldredge
Hersh and Jardine, P.C.
Kelly Maloney, MD, Children’s Hospital
Colorado
Christopher Mullen, Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management
William Myers, Business
Consultant
Mary Ricketson, Dean Emerita,
University Professor, University
of Denver
Steve Shaffer, Triple Crown Investments
Laura Srsich, Eide Bailly LLP
Beau Stark, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
LLP
Constance Talmage, Colorado Lawyers
Committee
Scott Van Ramshorst, American Family
Communities, LLC
Byron Walker, Peak 10 Publishing, LLC