Wish Night 2018: A Night Among the Stars
The one thing you never want to forget to bring to a Make-a-wish Colorado fundraiser?
A packet of tissues. Because you’re going to need them.
Isaac Slade and Joe King from The Fray were the headliners for Wish Night 2018: A Night Among the Stars but even they had to admit that their stellar set paled by comparison to appearances by several Denver-area Wish Kids, youngsters whose lives have been impacted by life-challenging illnesses.
Logan Castleton, a 13year-old student at Denver School of the Arts, for example, wowed the audience with his piano skills. Vocalist Amber Mckenzie, also 13, delivered a powerful rendition of “Fight Song,” a personal anthem that she also plans to sing for passengers when her wish to take a Disney cruise is fulfilled.
Becca Tuska has to be on a feeding tube for 22 hours a day, and spends her twohour break pursuing her passion for dance. On Wish Night, she and her Be Brave Becca dance troupe — her brother, Tyler; her best friend, Bethany Violett; and Liam Teagarden, brother of Wish Kid Maddie Teagarden — danced as Slade and King sang their popular “You Found Me.”
Slade and King then joined cancer survivor Mckenna Wilburn for a rendition of The Fray’s signature tune, “How to Save a Life.”
Eight-year-old leukemia survivor Gabby Kovach brought down the house by illustrating how much fun she was having with her wish: how to be famous. Her dream of being pursued by autograph seekers and paparazzi has been carried out over the past several months with events that include arriving in a pink limousine for a meet-and-greet party at the Hard Rock Café and an Epic Bash with family and friends. The hashtag that she created, #Makegabbyfamous, has gone viral, with messages of support coming in from around the world.
Make-a-wish Colorado, founded by Joan Mazak, is in its 35th year and is one of the oldest Make-a-wish chapters in the country. It recently granted its 5,000th wish.
Planned by a 13-member committee that included Patti Forsythe, the chapter’s director of events; George Barker; Joi Ohara; Caitie Neice and Regan Matthews, the dinner event was held at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center and emceed by Jason Gruenauer. The Emmywinning reporter for Denver7 News first got involved with Make-awish in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., when a friend working at the Western New York chapter needed a Prince Charming to add authenticity to a little girl’s wish to be a princess for a day.
Mazak, who continues as Make-a-wish Colorado’s president/ceo, and board chair Cory Tipton circulated during the silent auction social to welcome such valued supporters as former Denver Broncos Billy Thompson and Larry Brunson; Rich and Sue Jones; Kenneth and Marilynn Carroll; Bill and Dana Myers (a 10-year member of the Make-a-wish Colorado board of directors, he currently serves as the group’s treasurer); attorney Justin Vaughn, also a member of the Make-awish board, and his wife, Anita; and the evening’s auctioneer, Sean Allen, who brought in big money for items that included a snowboard and competition bid autographed by Olympic gold medalist Shaun White; two seats from the original Mile High Stadium with two tickets to a 2018-2019 Denver Broncos home game; and a luxury Vail getaway with transportation to and from in a Bentley Betayga on loan from Ferrari of Denver; deluxe accommodations at the Four Seasons Vail and dinners at Matsuhisa and Sweet Basil.