(BPT) - It was a day that 6-year-old Abbey and her parents will never forget. Abbey, from San Lorenzo, California, has leukemia. But she got to take some time off from hospitals, treatments and procedures to be a princess, complete with a unicorn companion, just for a day.
When Abbey and her family learned that she would receive a wish from Make-A-Wish®, she knew her wish right away: Abbey dreamed of traveling to Hawaii to swim in the ocean with dolphins, and to have a tea party with a unicorn. Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area and local Subaru retailer, Capitol Subaru, were on it. They teamed up to make Abbey's wish come true. The first step, a princess-themed surprise party to reveal that her wish would soon come true.
They surprised Abbey with presents, a visit from a princess, her favorite snacks and even a "unicorn," a miniature pony all dressed up for a tea party with Abbey. It made one little girl and her parents very happy, taking their minds off of her illness for a delightful moment in time.
It was an emotional day for Abbey and her family, and for the folks at Capitol Subaru as well. Next would come Hawaii and those dolphins. Abbey and her family left for Abbey's wish trip of a lifetime on Dec. 1.
"Having a child go through difficult medical treatments is stressful on the entire family," said Fernando Roque, general sales manager at DGDG's Capitol Subaru. "We hope that by granting these wishes, we can provide a moment of joy for everyone involved and look forward to continuing to support this great cause."
According to Make-A-Wish, approximately 27,000 children are diagnosed with a critical illness each year, and research shows that a wish can lead to better health outcomes and a higher chance of survival.
Subaru shares the love
It's all part of a long-running partnership between Subaru and Make-A-Wish through the Subaru Share the Love® Event. During the event, which runs from Nov. 21 to Jan. 2 this year, Subaru of America donates $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to the customer's choice of participating charities, including Make-A-Wish.
Since Make-A-Wish has become a participating national charity in the Subaru Share the Love Event, the organization has received more than $35 million in donations, helping to grant more than 3,600 wishes to children fighting critical illnesses in the U.S.
Doing well by doing good
The Subaru Share the Love Event is the textbook definition of doing well by doing good. Subaru is donating a portion from each new Subaru purchased or leased, from now until Jan. 2, 2025, to charities its customers get to designate, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®, Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels America and the National Park Foundation. The charities get supported, Subaru customers feel good about the donation and Subaru aligns with what's most important to its customers. Subaru is the largest automotive or corporate donor to each of those organizations.
There's a hometown component, too, with local Subaru retailers like Capitol Subaru able to be involved in these lifechanging moments by donating an additional $50 or more to the local charities they've partnered with for each new Subaru purchased or leased through Jan. 2.
All of it together is a huge win, a holiday message of kindness and support that everyone involved can feel good about. Especially the unicorn and those dolphins, who had the good fortune of spending a day with a delightful wish kid.
Over the last 16 years of the Subaru Share the Love Event, Subaru and its participating retailers have donated over $288 million to causes around the country and supported nearly 2,300 hometown charities. To learn more, visit: https://wish.org/subaru.