Make-A-Wish and ESPN announce the return of the "My Wish" series to SportsCenter on July 17

The 15th year of the iconic series will profile wish kids having their wishes to meet the world's best athletes and teams granted

PHOENIX, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish^® and ESPN^® announced today that that the 15th season of the "My Wish" series will return to SportsCenter on Sunday, July 17. The multi-day series will highlight four inspirational stories of children with critical illnesses whose wishes to meet their sports heroes forever changed their lives. Through Wednesday, July 20, sports lovers can catch a new feature debuting in the 8 a.m. ET hour of SportsCenter and then re-airing for 24 hours on any subsequent SportsCenter shows.

For each of the wishes featured in the "My Wish" series, ESPN cameras captured the experience in its entirety, beginning with the initial surprise of being told the wish would be granted, all the way through the life-changing experience shared with the athletes and teams. Over the years, "My Wish" has featured best-in-class professionals, including global superstars, world champions, gold medalists, hall of famers and MVPs. This year's roster of wish kids, star-studded athletes and teams includes:

• Sam, a 19-year-old heart transplant recipient from New Jersey, who announced the New York Giants' first-round pick at the NFL Draft;
• Myka, a 12-year-old from California with a pulmonary condition, who shared her goal to become the first female NFL player with her idol, Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes;
• Jackson, a 12-year-old from Georgia with cancer, who stepped onto the field as an Atlanta Braves player for the day; and
• Joseph, a 15-year-old from Alaska with leukemia, who learned first-hand what it takes to be a champion from Golden State Warriors' shooting guard Klay Thompson.

"The immense and lasting power of a wish is best felt and experienced through stories, and there is no one more capable of capturing and sharing the power of sports wishes than the experts at ESPN," said Richard K. Davis, president and CEO, Make-A-Wish America. "We are so thankful to everyone at ESPN for 15 years of working together to deliver stories of strength, resilience and courage that uplift and inspire viewers."

As he has since the first year of the series, Emmy-award winning reporter Chris Connelly brings these stories to life through insightful and compelling interviews with the wish kids and their families.

"I have been part of 'My Wish' since the beginning and, even after all that time, am always humbled by the incredible perseverance of the kids and families we profile," said Connelly. "It's an honor to tell stories about renewing hope through one special moment."

Make-A-Wish extends its thanks to Disney and ESPN for their support of the "My Wish" series as part of The Walt Disney Company's commitment to delivering joy and comfort to children with critical illnesses and their families. Beyond assisting with this year's series, Disney – which owns ESPN – has been a steadfast friend of Make-A-Wish for 42 years and has helped the organization grant more than 145,000 Disney-related wishes, including the very first official wish.

For more information about Make-A-Wish and the ESPN "My Wish" series, visit wish.org/mywish.

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world's leading children's wish-granting organization, operating in every community in the United States and in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 24,000 volunteers across the U.S., Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 520,000 wishes worldwide; more than 350,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org. 

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SOURCE Make-A-Wish Foundation of America