Six-year-old Collin got the idea for his wish when his mother, Betsey, brought home a Better Homes and Gardens decorating book. The book included information on decorating children's rooms and showed an example with a castle theme. Collin was hooked, and he asked his father to build the bedroom castle. Little did Collin know, constructing the castle was more than a one-man job. In fact, it would take the efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Metro St. Louis and several friends to put together the future prince's chateau.
At the suggestion of his school nurse, Collin's family contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the boy relayed his medieval wish, which turned out to be the first of its kind for the Metro St. Louis chapter. Wish granters orchestrated the castle's creation with donated labor from the Southern Illinois Carpenters Training Center, materials from several local businesses, and project plans from an Atlanta construction company.
The custom-built, portable castle was delivered to the family's newly-built home and installed in Collin's bedroom. The royal ensemble included two beds, a slide, and a firehouse-style pole to slide down from the upper-level play area. Three graduating seniors from an area high school painted Collin’s room with a sunny sky and a dragon. To cap off the presentation, the Foundation threw an unveiling party for Collin's extended family, friends, Make-A-Wish® personnel, and instructors from the Southern Illinois Carpenters Training Center. Domino’s Pizza donated stacks of pizza to the hungry revelers.
Nowadays, Collin is happily ruling his personal kingdom, but the kind-hearted king doesn't make his parents call him "Your Majesty."
This page can be found at http://www.wish.org/stories/fantasy/decorating_and_remodeling/collin_castle
©2006 Make-A-Wish Foundation®
