The 2023 Heroes Challenge in Edmonton. (Make-A-Wish Northern Alberta chapter)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

register now for september event

Make-A-Wish needs teams for Heroes Challenge in Red Deer

Apr 6, 2024 | 3:04 PM

Make-A-Wish Foundation is coming back to Red Deer this year in a big way, but they need the community’s support.

The Heroes Challenge Central Alberta goes Wednesday, Sept. 18 at The Dome, with a lunch party after at Bo’s.

The Heroes Challenge ran across Canada in 2023, including in Edmonton and Calgary, and entails teams of five — AKA Superhero Squads — participating in exciting activities. The hope is that the event becomes an annual one in Red Deer, replacing the Rope for Hope event which departed a few years ago.

Teams can be comprised of coworkers, family, or friends, among others.

“This is a great team-building exercise you will remember for years to come. You don’t need any special skills to participate, just a willingness to raise funds in your community,” explains Kathryn McLean, development manager, Make-A-Wish, Northern Alberta chapter.

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“The first challenge is to raise $5,000 to help us grant wishes to children with critical illnesses. Challenges run the gamut from easy activities like minute-to-win-it games and relay races to more sports-themed activities utilizing the batting cages, soccer field and more! Each completed challenge earns your team points to win the day.”

Really making the day one to remember will be when each team gets paired with a wish kid captain, who’s already been granted a wish, to inspire their journey.

The goal is to raise $70,000, which will cover the costs of about seven wishes. The waitlist in central Alberta is now 37 wishes, recently down from 45.

Last year, 30 kids in the Red Deer region had wishes granted, and 251 have been granted all-time to local kids.

“Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, and we are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey,” McLean adds.

“Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, operating in 50 countries. Here in Canada, we serve children in every community from coast to coast to coast.”

Since 1983, Make-A-Wish Canada has granted over 37,000 wishes across the country, and over 1,000 last year alone.

It is free to register a team. To learn more, click here.

READ MORE

• Red Deer boy with brain tumour gets Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World in front of packed Rebels crowd
• Red Deer teen’s galactic dream comes true thanks to Make-A-Wish
• Red Deer teen rappels for Make-A-Wish one last time
• ‘Leprechaun’ Joe Hittel honoured for huge 2020 Make-A-Wish contribution
• Dozens rappel down Stantec Executive Place in support of Make a Wish Foundation
• Rope for Hope raises more than $100,000 for Make-A-Wish

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