CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia (IIAWV) announced today a $7,500 grant to Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The grant will be used to help fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“Our members, the independent insurance agent community in West Virginia, believe there is no greater gift than to grant the wishes of children suffering from serious medical conditions,” Jan Vineyard, CEO of the IIAWV, said. “Being able to assist Make-A-Wish in bringing joy to children, particularly at this time of the year as we celebrate the Christmas holiday, is especially meaningful to all of us.”
The $7,500 grant is part of Trusted Choice’s national commitment to Make-A-Wish of more than $530,000 to help local chapters throughout the country grant more wishes to children.
One of those children is seven-year-old Xavier from Rupert, West Virginia, in Greenbrier County. His medical condition is AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). Xavier’s wish is to travel to Hawaii and see tropical birds and volcanoes. He and his family will be celebrating Xavier’s 8th birthday on the island of Oahu where he will be visiting the Honolulu Zoo, Sea Life Park and the Waikiki Aquarium.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents of WV again this year to help make the heartfelt wishes of West Virginia children come true,” Jo Beth Smith, regional manager of the Southern WV Make-A-Wish regional office said. “We appreciate the agents’ commitments not only to their individual communities but to the entire state of West Virginia. This grant will allow us to continue to make a difference in the lives of children living with life-threatening medical conditions.”
“Trusted Choice is honored to work with Make-A-Wish and our independent insurance agencies across the country to support wish granting,” Robert Rusbuldt, CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, said. “Independent agents are there to advocate and instill confidence and hope in their clients and customers, and that’s what Make-A-Wish does for so many children every year. We are proud to support their mission and to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
About Make-A-Wish®
Make-A-Wish® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.
About the Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia
The Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia, Inc. (IIAWV) is West Virginia’s oldest and largest insurance trade association. IIAWV represents more than 2,000 licensed independent insurance agents whose primary emphasis is on property and casualty insurance. Independent agencies range in size from a family-owned one-office firm to a statewide multi-office firm. IIAWV is a member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of American (IIABA).
