Shelbyville's Payton Templeton-White is 100th Wish Recipient for 2009
White's Wish To Go to Disney World Was Sponsored by Atmos Energy
In the chapter's fiscal year 2008-2009, ending August 31, 2009, The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee granted a record 100 wishes. Shelbyville's Payton Templeton-White, Age 3, who has undergone treatment for leukemia, went on her wish trip to Disney World on August 31 of this year. Payton's wish was sponsored by Atmos Energy.
"Once we scheduled Payton's wish, we were excited to find that we had granted a record number of wishes for our chapter," said Michelle Rosen, Executive Director of the Middle Tennessee chapter. "We are grateful for the support of companies like Atmos Energy whose funding is essential to our goal of granting the wish of every eligible child in the 38 counties we serve."
"Payton is a very special little girl, and Atmos Energy is honored to sponsor Payton's Wish to Go to Disney World," David Roberts, Shelbyville field supervisor for Atmos Energy, said. "Community involvement is and always has been a priority for our company, and involvement in Make-a-Wish is especially important to our local Shelbyville employees."
Students throughout middle Tennessee also raised funds to grant wishes in the past year. Shelbyville Central High School students raised over $16,000 to contribute toward the chapter's ability to reach this landmark. Shelbyville Central's Student Council President Bailie Martin and other officers represented the school at the 100th Wish Celebration on Friday.
About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country's largest natural-gas-only distributor, serving over 3 million natural gas distribution customers in more than 1,600 communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy also provides natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers primarily in the Midwest and Southeast and manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. Atmos Energy is a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com.
About The Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 161,000 wishes in the U.S. since inception.
The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the youngest Make-a-Wish Chapter in the country, recently won national awards for Performance Excellence and for the 2008 Infinite Wish - a wish that involved the entire community. The Middle Tennessee chapter has granted more than 750 wishes since its founding in 2000. To refer a child with a life-threatening medical condition, call 615-259-2324 Ext 11. Individuals can make donations or donate frequent flyer miles at www.midtnwishes.org, call 615-259-2324 Ext 15, or send donations to The Make-A-Wish¨ Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 209 10th Avenue South, Suite 527, Nashville, TN, 37203.
About Granting Wishes
Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.
There are four steps to granting a wish. Each step builds on the next to help create the amazing experiences that delight wish kids and their families. A wish experience is frequently a source of inspiration for children undergoing difficult medical treatments and a positive force that helps them overcome their obstacles. A wish experience is often more than a dream come true: It's the catalyst that rekindles their belief in themselves and the promise of their future.
Step 1: Referral
We rely on medical professionals, parents and children themselves for referrals. Children who have reached the age of 2_ and are under the age of 18 at the time of referral who have not received a wish from another wish-granting organization may be eligible for a wish.
Step 2: Medical eligibility
We determine a child's medical eligibility with the help of the treating physician. To receive a wish, the child must be diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition - i.e., a progressive, degenerative or malignant condition that has placed the child's life in jeopardy.
Step 3: Finding the true wish
We send one of our enthusiastic wish teams to learn the child's one true wish. These passionate volunteers connect with wish children and help explore their imaginations for the experience that will delight and inspire them.
Step 4: Creating joy
Our wish granters create an unforgettable experience driven by the child's creativity. It's an incredible experience that enriches not just the lives of the children and their families, but often an entire community.
