Four-year-old Jacob is very comfortable in the kitchen. When volunteers with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah talked to the young boy about his wish, he enthusiastically explained he wanted to be a baker. With that in mind, the Foundation put together an exciting itinerary for the young baking enthusiast. He – along with some eager friends – spent a day getting hands-on instruction at a variety of bakeries and factories.
With sponsorship from Discover Financial Services (DFS), Jacob's wish began with a visit to the Wonder Bread factory, where he made Twinkies, cupcakes, and Wonder Bread. The little baker pushed a button to insert crème filling into the Twinkies, sent the Twinkies to their packaging station, and stuffed the box. Jacob even got to keep his yummy treats.
Next, Jacob visited the DFSOperationsCenter in Sandy, Utah. The kind-hearted employees gave him a variety of baking accessories, including kid-sized baking supplies and chef caps for everyone in the 14-person tour. Now equipped and outfitted, Jacob moved on to his next three stops – Shepherd's Cake and Candy, Kneader's, and Domino's Pizza.
At Shepherd's Cake and Candy, Jacob received an embroidered apron. He also had his own cake to decorate, which he did splendidly. The cake was eventually auctioned off at a Make-A-Wish gala for $500! At Kneader's, Jacob learned how to make bread. Since then, the bakery has named one of its products "Jacob's Loaf" and added it to its regular bread line. In the kitchen of Domino's Pizza, employees taught Jacob how to stretch out the dough, put on toppings, and bake pizzas.
The special baker ended his day with a grand finale wish party at a dinosaur museum. Attendees dined on the goods that were made throughout the day. During the festivities, Jacob received even more gifts to further his trade. The treasures included a play kitchen set, pots and pans, play food sets, an Easy-Bake Oven, and all kinds of baking kits to serve as reminders of his big day.
Jacob's mother, Janice, saw the positive effect the whole wish experience had on her son. She explained, "I have these horrible memories of him hurting and being brave. And to see him so happy and get excited is just wonderful."

