The Make-A-Wish Foundation (http://midatlantic.wish.org): The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children under the age of 18 with life-threatening illnesses. It is the largest wish-granting organization in the world with 80 chapters in the United Stated and its territories, and 20 international affiliates. If you'd like to know more about The Make-A-Wish Foundation including how to refer your child or a child you know for a wish, call 800-722-WISH or visit their web site at www.wish.org. There are also regional chapters for specific regional information and contacts. The phone number for the Mid-Atlantic Region is 301-962-9474 and their web site is http://midatlantic.wish.org.
The Grant-A-Wish Foundation (http://www.grant-a-wish.org): Grant-A-Wish is a national children's charity that provides educational, recreational and supportive services to children, 18 and under, who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, they offer services that provide comfort and hope to kids suffering from Cancer, Leukemia, Cystic Fibrosis, neurological diseases and various other critical illnesses. In addition to Wish Granting, they also offer eight additional programs, including support group sponsorship and hospital housing, that provide support to critically ill children and their families throughout the treatment process. For more information on Grant-A-Wish, call 800-933-5470 or visit their web site at http://www.grant-a-wish.org/.
The Starlight Foundation (http://www.starlight.org): Starlight Children's Foundation's focus is to lift the spirits of seriously ill kids and their families at times of great stress and hardship. Services are provided for seriously, chronically and terminally ill children, aged 4 through 18 years. Starlight offers a variety of programs and services including Wish-Granting, Starlight Rooms, Starlight Fun Centers, PC Pals, and Kids Activity Network excursions. These programs provide a vital outlet for children suffering from pain and the depression created by stress and isolation. Programs are administered and wishes granted throughout the 50 states and internationally through local chapters. For more information visit their national web site at http://www.starlight.org/, the DC Metro web site at http://www.starlight-midatlantic.org/, or contact the local chapter by phone at 202-298-STAR.
The Starbright Foundation (www.starbright.org): The Starbright Foundation is dedicated to the development of projects that empower seriously ill children to combat the medical and emotional challenges they face on a daily basis. Starbright projects do more than educate or entertain: they address the core issues that accompany illness - the pain, fear, loneliness, and depression that can be as damaging as the sickness itself. This organization, through the efforts of Starbright Chairmen Steven Spielberg and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, have brought together an innovative combination of leaders from the worlds of technology, medicine, and entertainment to ensure that no child need sacrifice quality of life to an illness. For more information on the work of Starbright and current projects, visit their web site at http://www.starbright.org/.
AirLifeLine (www.AirLifeLine.org): AirLifeLine provides free FREE air transportation nationwide for people with medical and financial need, and for other humanitarian reasons (such as wish-granting trips). Visit their web site at http://www.airlifeline.org/.
The Dream Foundation (www.dreamfoundation.com): grants wishes to cancer patients ages 21 and over.
Heavenly Hats (www.heavenlyhats.com): donates brand-new hats to cancer patients who lose their hair due to cancer or the treatment of cancer. Program has donated over 40,000 brand-new hats to over 160 hospitals around the United States and worldwide.