LAS VEGAS – The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the WWE have long been a perfect match.
From John Cena holding the all-time Make-A-Wish record for wishes granted by a celebrity to the more than 6,000 wishes granted by WWE Superstars over a 40-plus-year partnership, Cena and the WWE have become nearly as synonymous with making dreams come true as Disneyland.
With Fanatics, the official sports partner of Make-A-Wish, also expanding its partnership with WWE in recent years, that 40-plus-year partnership was taken to another level ahead of WrestleMania 41. Fanatics, Make-A-Wish and WWE presented 25 kids with a superstar experience they’ll never forget at WWE World on Thursday.
The kids each got their own customized entrance and introduction from ring announcer Mark Nash, complete with individual theme music and graphics packages centered around the name and persona they selected. Before they got their special intros, each kid was treated to $250 and a private shopping experience at the WWE Superstore.
“We hope to create unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, which I think we accomplished today,” Grace Farraj, executive director of the Fanatics Foundation, said.
"We have 25 kids here today. That's a lot of kids, and someone might wonder how you make it special and unique for everyone. From a creativity standpoint, we didn’t want to stifle anything. We asked our teams back at the offices, ‘What could you do for these kids?’ and this is what it looks like. We brought their actual superstar personas to life.”
To help the kids fully immerse themselves in the experience, of course WWE had to bring in some of their big guns. Awaiting the kids at the end of their walkout were superstars Braun Strowman and Tiffany Stratton. Strowman and Stratton spent time chatting and taking photos with each of the kids, with one conversation making Strowman visibly emotional.
“(I’m) this kid that grew up in Sherrils Ford, North Carolina,” Strowman said. “Most people have no idea what it is. From being told I was never going to amount to anything, to being bullied as a kid for being fat, to having the realization that I'm so blessed to be able to give back to these kids. I remember I was lost when I was younger, looking up to someone and having role models. Knowing what they did for me when I had my dark time, this is like a crazy full circle now. I’ve been so blessed to have the opportunity to give back.”
While these events will always be centered around giving the kids the day they’ve always dreamed of, an underrated aspect to these outings is the effect they have on stars as big as Strowman.
“You know, these kids can (wish for) anything,” Strowman said. “They're coming to spend time with us. Seeing the smiles on their faces, that's what keeps this old man doing this stuff, 12 years in it with six surgeries.”
If smiles are the currency that decides whether an event like this is a success, you can certainly consider Thursday’s outing a winner.
“Every single face we saw on those kids today was what we were hoping for out of this,” Farraj said. “We just try to make it really special, so seeing that makes it all worthwhile.”