Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates 40 years with new campaign amid challenges of pandemic

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Forty years ago Wednesday, the first wish was granted for a little boy battling leukemia that would later pave the way for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Make-A-Wish frequently uses volunteers to grant wishes along with famous celebrities.

Now it's calling on the star power of everyday people in the community, like you, to come together and help grant wishes.

It's especially important now as the coronavirus pandemic has put thousands of wishes on hold, including more than 100 wishes in Wisconsin.

"Most of those wishes are travel-related wishes, but we are granting the wishes we can grant," said Forest Doolen of Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. "In the meantime, things like camper wishes, swimming pool wishes, those kind of things we can do with social distancing in very safe ways, so that we can make sure that no child has to wait any longer than they should."

To date, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 330,000 wishes, with more than 7,000 right here in Wisconsin.

Fore more information on the campaign and how you can help out, click here.