Eleven Celebrities honored by Make-a-Wish

The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of America announced 11 celebrities and industry insiders as recipients of its 19th annual Chris Greicius Celebrity Awards. The honorees were selected for their exceptional dedication to the Foundation’s mission by helping grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The recipients are:

Celebrity Wish Granters

• Actor George Lopez
• The cast and crew of the NBC TV series Deal or No Deal
• Recording artists Rascal Flatts
• Donald Trump, Chairman & President of the Trump Organization
• Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki
• Palace Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NBA Detroit Pistons

Industry Icons

• Howie Schwab, ESPN’s TV series Stump the Schwab
• Dean Kurtz, chief guest-services officer for International Speedway Corporation
• Lori Rischer, artist manager & radio/marketing executive at THE FIRM
• Kenny Ortega, Disney’s High School Musical director, choreographer and producer
• Spooky Stevens, unit publicist

“The gift of time these winners offer is invaluable and ensures that each wish they are involved with brings unparalleled joy,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “Their commitment to our mission creates irreplaceable memories and moments of joy for children facing life-threatening medical conditions. We are so grateful for their support, and hope that other children will share the power of a wish® with their help.”

Started in 1990, the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award is named in honor of the 7-year-old boy whose 1980 wish to be a police officer inspired a group of caring volunteers to fulfill his dream and later create the Foundation, now the largest wish-granting organization in the world.

Make-A-Wish^® chapters nominated celebrities for their efforts during the past year to grant amazing wishes to the wish kids who wanted to meet them. The Foundation’s Celebrity and National Sports Program staff chose the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award winners from those nominations and also selected industry icons for their dedication to wish kids in creating and planning memorable wish experiences for them.

The Celebrity and National Sports Program facilitates the wishes of children who ask to meet their favorite TV or movie star, musician, athlete, entertainment personality or other public figure. During fiscal year 2008 (ending Aug. 31), the Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfilled 880 celebrity or national sports wishes, about 6 percent of the more than 13,000 total wishes granted by the nonprofit organization.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 66 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 171,000 wishes in the U.S. since inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish^® .