Smiles for Hayley: Donations from Christmas lights display fund Disney World trip
By Gillian Graham, Staff Writer, Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier
Hayley Desjardins walked slowly through the door of her classroom, her classmates swirling with excitement around her.

With a hand covering her mouth and her sister by her side, Hayley walked up to two waiting princesses and smiled as Cinderella welcomed the girls to Hayley’s Make- A-Wish party.
“We’re very happy you get to have a wish,” Cinderella said to a giggling Hayley as a second princess placed a crown on the7-year-old Saco girl’s head.

The princesses visited Fairfi eld School last week along with other Make-A-Wish Foundation volunteers for a pizza party in honor of Hayley, who has aplastic anemia. She leaves this week for a weeklong trip to Disney World with her family.

Hayley was diagnosed with the rare bone marrow failure disease in 2008 before undergoing months of hospitalizations and blood and platelet transfusions. Her family founded the Hugs From Hayley race and fun walk to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. The annual event also features a bone marrow registry drive.

Hayley, who is now in remission, said she chose to go to Disney World “because I’ve been wanting to go for a really long time.” She and her 5-year-old sister, Maddie, collected spare change to save for the trip before learning the trip would be paid for by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine.

“We’re going to save more and give all the rest to Ellie,” Maddie said while eating pizza with her sister. Ellie is a 5- year-old friend who has cancer.

Watching as his daughters ate lunch and chatted with the princesses, Michael Desjardins said his family was looking forward to the trip. “We are just ecstatic. Hayley and Maddison have been through so much. It’s such a great reward for them,” he said.

Hayley’s mom, Allison Desjardins, said she was overwhelmed at the generosity of strangers who donated the $6,000 it costs to grant a wish. The money was donated to Stan and Melissa Norton of Wells by visitors to their “Norton Lights” holiday display, which featured lights synchronized to music visitors listened to on their car radios.

“It just goes to show you there are a lot of good people in this world,” Allison Desjardins said. “It amazes me every day there are people willing to help those who are sick.”

Michael Desjardins said he is also grateful for the support of the community. The family will continue to organize Hugs From Hayley to give back to the people who have supported
them, he said. “We can’t personally pay back all the people who have helped, but we can do it by staying active and paying it forward,” he said. “We’re very, very grateful she is doing so
well.”

After flipping through a princess-themed folder with the trip itinerary, Hayley and Maddie talked with the princesses about what they’re most excited to see at Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. They will stay at Give Kids the World, a resort for families being granted wishes.

“I’m most excited about meeting Ariel (the Little Mermaid),” Maddie said. “And we get ice cream for breakfast.”

Hayley said she is most looking forward to visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom – and ordering sweets from Give Kids the World’s 24-hour room service.

“My mom said don’t even think about waking up in the middle of the night and asking for a brownie from room service,” Hayley said. “I’m excited to go on the trip.”

Warning: Unauthorized Telemarketing in Maine

1/4/10 – The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine has fielded telephone calls in recent days from Maine residents questioning the legitimacy of recent telephone solicitations, and the Foundation is educating individuals and businesses across Maine once again that the Make-A-Wish Foundation never raises funds through telemarketing.   

"The Make-A-Wish Foundation has a nationwide policy against telephone and door-to-door," said Tom Peaco, Executive Director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. “We want to remind businesses and families across Maine about our policy so they are not confused into thinking that they are supporting our mission for Maine kids. There are many ways to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant wishes to seriously ill Maine kids, but giving through telemarketing is not one of them.”

Peaco encourages those interested in supporting the Maine chapter of Make-A-Wish to visit their website at www.mainewish.org or to call the Maine chapter at (800) 491-3171.

The Maine chapter, one of 65 nationwide, operates on an annual budget of over $1.2 million, which is all raised privately through individual and business contributions, events sponsored and staffed by the organization, and authorized events organized by community groups external to the Foundation.

Telemarketing can be a legitimate way of marketing and selling products and services. However, in some instances, consumers are exposed to instances of telemarketing fraud, and they should know how to recognize and avoid them, Peaco said.

"It is important for the public to ask questions of anyone who calls on the telephone soliciting for a cause," Peaco said.

Knowing about the organization’s mission, getting clear and direct answers and understanding some of the techniques of telephone fraud are ways for individuals to avoid confusion, and to avoid donating to an organization other than that which they intend to benefit.

The Washington, DC-based National Consumers League has formed a special department known as the Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing that has outlined several ways for consumers to avoid becoming victims. These precautionary measures are:

• Don’t allow yourself to be pushed into a hurried decision.
• Always request written information, by mail, about a product, service, investment or charity, and details about the organization that is offering it.
• Don’t make a donation, investment or purchase that you don’t understand.
• Ask what state and federal agencies the firm is regulated by and/or required to be registered with.
• If an investment or major purchase is involved, request that information also be sent to your accountant, financial adviser, banker, or attorney for evaluation and an opinion.
• Ask what recourse you would have if you make a purchase and aren’t satisfied.
• Don’t provide personal financial information over the phone unless you are absolutely certain the caller has a bona fide need to know.
• If necessary, simply hang up.

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. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories and 33 international affiliates spanning five continents. Through private donations and the efforts of more than 25,000 creative wish-granting volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 174,000 wishes around the world since its inception in 1980. 

Based in Camden and Portland, the Maine chapter (founded in 1992) has granted wishes to children in each of Maine’s 16 counties, and plans to grant its’ 900th wish in February 2010. Wishes granted to Maine children include trips to Disney World, Hawaii, Barbados, and numerous other destinations, meetings with celebrities, political leaders and professional athletes, and gifts such as computers, swimming pools, and entertainment centers.

All costs for the Wish Child and family are paid by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine, and every qualifying child is granted their greatest wish.

To refer a qualified child, offer your support, or learn more about the organization, contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine at (207) 221-2306 or (800) 491-3171 or visit their website at www.mainewish.org.

Santa's Believe Tour Starts with Maine - Read letters to Santa here!

Wesley Young, 6, of Gorham poses for a picture with Santa at Macy’s in the Maine Mall in South Portland on Saturday.

SOUTH PORTLAND — It would seem to be a critical time to be away, but the chief executive officer of the North Pole feels as if he's left things in capable hands.

"Mrs. Claus is watching the elves up there," Santa Claus said during a visit to Macy's at the Maine Mall on Saturday.

"They're checking in with me all the time," Santa added, although there wasn't a cell phone or BlackBerry in sight on his familiar red, white and black outfit.

The only ringing was from sleigh bells on Santa's belt and cuffs, but for someone who knows who's been good and bad – and keeps a running list – keeping in touch might be accomplished in a slightly different way than the rest of us manage.

Santa's off on a nationwide tour, starting in Maine and ending in Louisiana just a couple of days before his big night.

He clearly isn't one to sit still: From Maine, he travels to Idaho, then back east to Rhode Island as he hopscotches across the country for the next month.

Santa said he's looking forward to the trip. Portland, he noted, is a familiar sight for him every Dec. 24, but he doesn't often get a chance to see it from below chimney-top level.

"I'm able to see the city differently than I've ever seen it before," he said.

Christmas season may have just begun, but there were plenty of people happy to see the head elf Saturday, starting with more than a dozen kids gathered by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine.

As Santa filled the kids in on what's going on with him – the sleigh he was on in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York is new, he said – Thomas G. Peaco, the foundation's executive director, snapped away with a camera.

Make-A-Wish gets a dollar from Macy's for every letter to Santa dropped off at a special mailbox in the store, Peaco said, so Santa's drop-by Saturday can provide a big push toward fulfilling the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

Last year, the $1-a-letter fundraising brought in $20,000 between the Macy's stores in Bangor and South Portland, Peaco said, and the hope is that this year will top that.

"Times have been tough for everyone, including nonprofits," Peaco said. "But for kids with a life-threatening condition, you just can't put it on hold because of the economy."

Nearby, Wesley Young, 6, waited patiently for an opening, then rushed to Santa with his brief list, written in big letters on a sheet of paper. The list contained just two items – a light saber and what he called a "skeleton," an anatomical model like you might see in a biology class, with the organs inside plastic skin.

Wesley has a bone marrow disorder, his mother Kristin Young explained.

"Only a kid who's gone through treatments would want that for Christmas," Young said, laughing.

Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at: emurphy@pressherald.com

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FY Board Chair Michael Celeste Named to National Board!

Congratulations to Michael Celeste, our FY09 Board Chair for being named to the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. This is quite an honor.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors comprised of leading corporate and civic leaders from across the country.  Each of the 65 Make-A-Wish chapters across the country annually elect a delegate to the nationwide Leadership Council, which serves in an advisory capacity to the national board of directors. 

The Leadership Council elects four chapter representatives (two chapter executive leaders and two chapter board representatives) to serve as non-voting members of the national board of directors, serving as the collective voice of Make-A-Wish chapters to the national board. 

“Mike Celeste is a tremendous representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation," said Tom Peaco, Executive Director at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. "His passion for our mission and the children we serve is unending. We are thrilled that the leadership of Make-A-Wish chapters across the country have recognized his leadership capabilities and have entrusted him with this responsibility and honor. Mike is a wonderful choice to share the views of all Make-A-Wish chapters, and to work in partnership with our national board to help our organization help even more seriously ill children. His election to this position is an honor for him, and for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine.”

"My passion for this organization began quietly in 2003," said Celeste. "The Maine Chapter was reaching out to our State’s largest city, hoping to cast its net beyond the small coastal town where the magic first shined. It was our first auction in Portland and I was a volunteer. From decorations to displays, committees to collection of items, I was hooked. My first taste of Hope, Strength and Joy and I have yet to look back."

Mr. Celeste has been on the Make-A-Wish Board of Directors in Maine since 2003 and served as Board Chair from FY06-FY10.  He has volunteered, served on Boards and raised funds for the American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, Epilepsy Foundation, United Way, Susan Curtis Foundation, Maine Children’s Cancer Center and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Augusta Eagles Club Motorcycle Ride Raises $12,000!

Thank you to the Augusta Eagles Club riders and organizers for coming together to help us grant two wishes! Below is a picture of Rhonda (right) and Tammy (left) presenting their check to Jim Christie of Make-A-Wish. See a photo of Eagles Club kids wearing their Make-A-Wish ride t-shirts.

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