Rancho Santa Fe residents pledge $250,000 to Make-A-Wish San Diego
Research suggests that as many as 317 children in the San Diego community will be diagnosed with a life-threatening illness this year, and Make-A-Wish San Diego is committed to making their wishes come true without delay. Currently, Make-A-Wish San Diego is reaching two-thirds of medically eligible children, but one in three eligible children in San Diego have not been granted a wish. To narrow this gap, Make-A-Wish San Diego has recently created an exclusive President’s Circle to assist in making every wish come true for San Diego children.
Rancho Santa Fe philanthropists Hélène and George Gould are the inaugural founders of the President’s Circle, and have pledged a $250,000 matching gift that will allow all gifts from new donors to have twice the impact on wishes for kids with life-threatening medical conditions. Donors who give $50,000 or more will join the Goulds in the exclusive President’s Circle.
“When Make-A-Wish San Diego told us about their goal to be able to reach each and every child in our great city, we were compelled to make a difference in the lives of these children,” said Hélène Gould. “George and I have pledged to match every dollar up to $250,000 for this initiative. We encourage others to consider donating and joining the President’s Circle to help make an even greater impact in San Diego, so that all of our local kids can have their wishes come true.”
“Nearly every day in San Diego, a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition,” said Chris Sichel, president and CEO, Make-A-Wish San Diego. “Hélène and George have been instrumental in launching the President’s Circle, and their extraordinary donation and the joy it will inspire for our Wish Kids will shape Make-A-Wish San Diego’s future for years to come.”
Members of the President’s Circle will make it possible for our local Make-A-Wish to grant a wish for every child in San Diego. For more information on the President’s Circle and how you can be a hero for a Wish Kid, contact Dana Vandersip: dvandersip@wishsandiego.org.
Hélène and George Gould have supported the mission of Make-A-Wish San Diego for over a decade, leading extraordinary efforts in the organization’s fundraising goals. Hélène is also a founding member of the W.I.S.H Circle of Make-A-Wish San Diego, the dynamic women’s leadership group that supports its vision and mission. Hélène’s involvement in the organization was inspired by the memory of her young nephew, Franck Alain Levy Dreyfus, who passed away 14 years ago. Hélène, who is originally from Southern France, is a fashion designer and a real estate investor, and George is a private investor.