MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION I. Introduction A. As children I'm sure all of us had a completely different idea of what we wanted to be when we grew up then what we're doing now. How many people wanted to be a baseball player?"æmovie star?"ærace car driver?"æWhat about a police officer? What would it have meant to you as a child to actually become a professional baseball player, movie star, race car driver, or police officer, at that point in your life.
1. Lead in example 1. This is a picture of seven-year old Chris Greicius of Phoenix, Arizona. Chris's idols were Ponch and Jon from the television show "CHIPS,"ÃÂ and he himself always dreamed of becoming a police officer. Chris' wish of becoming a police officer was the biggest thing in the world to him. Many children have plenty of time to realize their dreams as they grow up, but Chris didn't have the luxury of time.
Chris Martin
Chris Trotter
English: An 1885 lithograph of a bird's-eye view o...You see, Chris had leukemia and his prognosis was not good. On April 29, 1980 Chris' wish was granted. A police helicopter flew Chris over the Phoenix area where three squad cars and a motorcycle awaited his arrival. Chris was then sworn in as an honorary patrolman. Chris also received a custom-tailored patrolman uniform and a battery-powered motorcycle. Some of the officers would take time away from their busy schedules to spend time with Chris and share a pack of bubble gum with him. Chris' wish had been granted, and he became known to his fellow officers as the "Bubble Gum Trooper." 2. Preview 1. Chris' story led to the development of a program that would go on to grant many other children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses the fulfillment of one of their wishes. This program became known as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
2. There...