Sisters Lorey Phillips and Dawn Bailey, co-chairmen for Evening of Wishes, the annual Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser for the Mid-South chapter, have wishes of their own -- that this year's event meets its goal of $115,000, topping last year's donations of $106,000.
The nonprofit Make-A-Wish, founded in 1980 in Arizona, began in Arkansas in 1986 and serves all 75 counties. Four types of wishes are offered -- to meet someone (usually a superhero or celebrity), to be someone (also typically a superhero or celebrity), to have something (such as a treehouse or a dog) or to go somewhere. The most popular travel destinations are Disney World, Disneyland or Hawaii.
In 2016, 139 wishes were granted in Arkansas, with 81 cents of every dollar allocated to the mission of granting wishes. The average cost of each wish is $8,000.
Phillips and Bailey have been working tirelessly to make Evening of Wishes a bountiful one for the organization. The gala is 6-8 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Albert Pike Masonic Center, 712 Scott St. in Little Rock. The fundraiser, presented this year by Simmons Bank, will feature a performance by country music star and Arkansan Justin Moore. KATV's Alyson Courtney will be master of ceremonies. Tickets are $150.
During the event, guests will hear the story of Logan Kirksey, 8, who is battling a life-threatening illness and got his wishes of going to the Great Barrier Reef and sampling the Greek cuisine. Logan was recently in remission but his battle with cancer continues. Some other children who have had wishes granted will be at the gala.
"There are more than 30 wishes waiting to be granted in central Arkansas," Phillips says, adding that all of the money raised here is used locally. The event's silent auction will include artwork on tiles and Christmas ornaments created by Make-A-Wish children and local artist Vickie Hendrix Siebenmorgen.
"Back in July, the children helped create the art by adding their thumbprints," Bailey says of the 12-by-12-inch ceramic tiles. "And then the artist added to them, creating meaningful works of art."
Other auction items include a pair of Justin Moore concert tickets, including travel and merchandise, an autographed guitar from Moore, dinner at Samantha's Tap Room & Wood Grill, a $100 shopping spree and wine tasting at Barbara Jean's and a day at the races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.
A larger painting, also created by the children with help from Siebenmorgen, will be sold in the live auction by auctioneer Cory Nicholson of 107 Auction Block.
"Last year, they did one with handprints running all the way around the work of art," Phillips says.
Phillips and Bailey are deeply dedicated to the work of Make-A-Wish. The siblings' passion originates from pain. Phillips of North Little Rock and her husband, David, lost their youngest of three children, Lawson, to cancer. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2007 when he was 8, Lawson's health declined rapidly.
"It's your worst nightmare. He was diagnosed on a Tuesday and was on life-support by that Saturday," she recalls, dissolving into tears. "Someone from Make-A-Wish came by and visited but by then, he couldn't talk. He didn't have enough time to even let us know what his wish would be."
Lawson died a few weeks later. This year, his classmates from Bayou Meto Elementary will be graduating from high school.
Working through her grief, Phillips, who is a controller for Lighthouse Compliance Solutions Inc., began raising money in 2008 to grant other children's wishes, and raised enough to grant two wishes in Lawson's memory.
"Back when I did that, there wasn't a wish council," she says. Six years ago, Phillips and 14 other volunteers came together to promote the private nonprofit organization. This is her and Bailey's first year to serve as co-chairmen of the gala.
Bailey lives in Little Rock with her two young daughters and is an insurance agent with The Hatcher Agency. Her youngest, Lindley, 8, was named by Bailey's late nephew, Lawson.
"He was an old soul and was excited about her coming," Bailey recalls of her pregnancy. "He wanted to name her and had chosen her name. She was born on the day after he passed."
Bailey has helped grant some wishes herself. "I didn't realize how rewarding it would be. A lot of people don't realize what a family who has a child fighting a life-threatening illness goes through. It's an ongoing struggle. It's very humbling. You just never know how or when your life is going to change."
Tickets and information are available at (501) 376-9474 or midsouth.wish.org
High Profile on 11/06/2016