In its fourth year, Brokering Wishes in Atlantic Canada endeavours to grant 16 wishes this year
Mortgage professionals in the Maritimes are coming together for a fourth straight year to make the wishes of children with severe illnesses come true.
Brokering Wishes, which supports the Make-A-Wish Canada, will be hosting three galas in May to achieve their target goal of raising over $250,000 since the initative began in 2016.
The first event on May 2 will be a wine and cheese in Moncton, NB, followed by a May 10 gala in Dartmouth, NS, and another gala on May 25 in St. John’s, NL.
In 2016, the group of dedicated mortgage professionals raised $20,640, followed by $53,600 in 2017, and $88,185 in 2018. To date, Brokering Wishes has raised $162,000.
“By end of this year we’ll be at over $250,000, which is enough to adopt 16 wishes,” said Derrick MacNeil, VP of Graysbrook Capital and the Atlantic chairperson for Brokering Wishes. “Our gala events consist of plated dinner, live and silent auction items, high-end bands playing for the evening. Events go from 6PM to 1am, and we sell tables to passionate mortgage brokers and our industry partners.”
This year, Halifax-based Big Fish will take the stage for guests in Dartmouth for what promises to be both a terrific concert from local luminaries and a heartfelt event for children felled by unspeakable circumstances.
MacNeil describes an opportunity to both allay a child’s fears and anxieties and provide them the strength to get better.
“I have been fortunate to hear Wish families talk about their experience of a wish that has been granted to their child, and the extremely positive impact that it’s had on not only the child but the family as a whole is absolutely amazing,” he said. “it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to impact another family in such a positive manner.
“Studies show that 85% of parents observed a decrease in their child’s anxieties or fears after their wish was granted. A wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness.”
