More children's wishes could be granted under new charity merger

The new board of a merged wish-granting charity, Make-A-Wish Canada, believes the combined organization can have a bigger impact than the two did as separate charities.

Make-A-Wish Canada and the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada both had the same mission to grant wishes to children with life-threatening illness. They announced this month they had merged and continue under the Make-A-Wish Canada name.

"This is really giving us more opportunity as a national wish-granting organization to be able to leverage bigger relationships, bigger sponsorships, bigger pieces of the pie," said board chair Michele Augbert.

"That will eventually help support some of the wish granting that happens."

The board estimates it will be able to grant 25 per cent more wishes, with a goal of 2,600 wishes in 2022.

Augert said the move will also eliminate confusion that sometimes existed when the two organizations were working in the same province.

The integration of the two organizations is expected to take one or two years.

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