What we do
Make-A-Wish Foundation® Switzerland and Liechtenstein realizes the heartfelt wishes of 3 to 18 year old children suffering from a life-threatening illness, giving them hope, strength and joy. Childhood should not be associated with illness, hospital stays and diagnoses, but with carefree, joy and hope. Sometimes when you are not well, dreams become all the more important. At Make-A-Wish, we do everything we can to make the wishes of our children, who are denied a carefree childhood, come true. We make sure that every child can experience magical moments in the company of his or her family. As the writer Cesar Pavese aptly put it, "We do not remember days, we remember moments". The work of Make-A-Wish is to give seriously ill children a precious and unique moment. A moment that makes them forget their illness and gives them wonderful memories. Getting tips from Roger Federer, being a gold panner, flying over the Alps in a helicopter, seeing the ocean for the first time, meeting your hero, being a boss for a day or meeting a physics Nobel Prize winner at CERN; our children's wishes are as unique as they are. We work closely with doctors and medical staff throughout Switzerland. We know what a wish means and this gives us the strength to continue so that we can reach as many sick children in Switzerland as possible. But we could not do this without your generous help.
Who we are
Make-A-Wish Switzerland was founded in 2003. We are a financially and legally independent Swiss foundation under the supervision of the Department of Home Affairs. Our small team is based in Nyon and is supported by about 50 volunteers throughout Switzerland. We finance our work with donations from private individuals and companies, with corporate partnerships, with an annual main event, with various other events and with the support of associations, non-profit clubs and schools. Make-A-Wish also receives donations in kind (goods and services), which help us to realize the wishes.
Make-A-Wish International
In 1980, a young American boy named Chris dreamed of being a police officer for a day, despite his severe leukemia. The fulfillment of this wish served as the inspiration for a small group of volunteers to create an organization that gives other children equally enchanting experiences. Since that day, the organization has grown steadily and now grants wishes around the world in 48 countries with more than 35,000 volunteers. To date, over 350,000 wishes have been granted.