5 Named as Recipients of Annual Chris Greicius Celebrity Awards

PHOENIX (Sept. 14, 2009) – The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America today announced five recipients of its 20th annual Chris Greicius Celebrity Awards. The honorees were selected for their exceptional dedication to the Foundation’s mission by helping grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The recipients are:

Celebrity Wish Granters

Dave Matthews Band – Matthews and his band mates have granted 19 wishes over the years and provided unforgettable experiences for the wish kids, such as giving them sneak previews of unreleased songs and jamming together with the kids on their favorite DMB songs before concerts.

WWE® Superstar John Cena® – One of the most popular celebrity wish requests among wish kids, Cena has granted 147 wishes since 2004. In addition to regularly granting wishes at WWE events such as Monday Night RAW® and WrestleMania®, he has also helped fulfill modeling and film wishes through his projects outside the ring. Cena serves as a Wish Ambassador for the Foundation supporting its goal to expand wish-granting efforts to more eligible children.

Charm City Cakes (Baltimore) – Charm City Cakes owner Duff Goldman and his team have granted three wishes at the renowned Baltimore bakery and featured scenes with the wish kids on their popular Food Network series, Ace of Cakes. Each child enjoyed a variety of experiences while spending a day with the team, including customizing their own cake designs. Goldman also supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic chapter as a member of its Baltimore Advisory Council.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies have granted 11 wishes during the 2009 season, treating wish kids to a variety of baseball experiences, from throwing out the first pitch to taking swings in batting practice during spring training. Phillies players also have donated extraordinary time to grant wishes: In January, Shane Victorino made a special trip to Philadelphia from his offseason home to grant an 8-year-old boy’s wish, and Jimmy Rollins participated in the ESPN SportsCenter “My Wish” series, granting a 17-year-old boy’s wish to be a major leaguer for a day.

Industry Icon

Garden of Dreams Foundation (New York) – Since its inception in 2006, Madison Square Garden’s charitable foundation has created magical experiences for wish kids at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the MSG Training Center, Fuse and the Beacon Theater, as well as to meet players with the NBA Knicks, NHL Rangers and WNBA Liberty. Activities have included a skating session with the Rangers, special seats at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and playing drums with a favorite rock band at Madison Square Garden.

“This year’s Chris Greicius Celebrity Award recipients have shown a remarkable commitment to our mission,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “They create singular, unforgettable experiences for children because of the time, care and creativity they devote to each child’s wish. We are truly grateful for their dedication and for giving wish kids and their families so much lasting joy.”

Started in 1990, the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award is named in honor of the 7-year-old boy whose wish to be a police officer inspired a group of caring volunteers to fulfill his dream in 1980 and later create the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Foundation’s Celebrity and National Sports Program team facilitates the wishes of children who ask to meet their favorite TV or movie star, musician, athlete, entertainment personality or other public figure. This past fiscal year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted 856 celebrity- and national sports-related wishes, about 6 percent of the some 13,500 wishes it granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions nationwide.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 180,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.