Jersey Mike's Partners with Make-A-Wish NJ for Month of Giving
Jersey Mike’s Subs kicked off the “Month of Giving” campaign by inviting 22q11 deletion syndrome patient Claudia and revealed they'd fly her to California so she could attend a teen awards show.
Jersey Mike’s Subs made more than turkey club sandwiches on March 1st. With help from Make-A-Wish New Jersey, the well-known chain made a wish come true.
The "Month-of-Giving" campaign was kicked off when 14-year old 22q11 deletion syndrome patient Claudia and dozens of guests, including her closest friends and family, were invited to the restaurant's Brick Township, New Jersey location. There, she was told that her wish to fly to California and attend a teen awards show later this month was going to be granted.
22q11 deletion syndrome, which is also known as DiGeorge syndrome, involves many different areas of the body and can vary in severity from patient-to-patient. It is often caused by the deletion of a small piece of chromosome 22. It typically presents via heart defects, abnormalities in palate development, developmental disabilities, and issues in the immune system.
After she was presented with her wish, Claudia went behind the counter for a 3-minute sub-making challenge, facing off against Make-A-Wish New Jersey Wish Coordinator Alina Santana. Each competitor was challenged with making as many sandwiches as possible in 3 minutes, with coaching and tips from team members from Jersey Mike’s.
For the second time that day, Claudia came out on top.
The event on Thursday celebrated the start of the 2018 Month of Giving campaign, through which 60 Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants throughout the state will partner with Make-A-Wish New Jersey. Throughout March, customers can make a donation to the nonprofit organization at any of the participating locations. On Wednesday March 28th — labeled the “Day of Giving” – Jersey Mike’s will donate 100% of the day’s sales to Make-A-Wish New Jersey.
Last year, Jersey Mike’s Subs donated $263,000 to Make-A-Wish New Jersey, leading to 28 wishes granted to local children.
“Wherever there is a Jersey Mike’s, within close proximity, rest assured there is a wish family,” said Tom Weatherall, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish New Jersey at the event. “Last year we granted 530 wishes - a record year for us. The Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving campaign helped fuel our resources so we could go out and find more of these children and ask them that magical question, ‘If you could have one wish, what would it be?’, and it gave us the confidence that no matter what their answer may be, we could say that their wish will be granted.”
2018 marks the 35th anniversary of Make-A-Wish New Jersey. Since its inception in 1983, the organization has granted more than 9,5000 life-changing wishes to children throughout the state with critical illnesses.
For more from Rare Disease Report’s Strategic Alliance Partners, follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
