Making wishes come true, one child at a time
The Hudson Valley chapter of the Make A Wish Foundation held its annual fund raiser last Friday at the Tarrytown Double Tree Hotel, and hosted Make A Wish founders Kitty and Frank Shankwitz. The couple began their work April 1980 by granting Chris GreiciusÂ’ wish to be an Arizona Highway Motorcycle patrolman. At the time, Frank was a member of the Arizona Highway Motorcycle Patrol; today Make A Wish is an international organization. Recently, the Hudson Valley chapter granted its 2,000th wish to a young boy in Montgomery. The chapter has more than 160 wishes pending, many for children who live in Orange County. Pictured at the gala are, from left to right: Board member Robert Andreala, behind him Treasurer Tom Blaney, member Preston Felton, Chair Tony Cardone, Make A Wish Founders Kitty and Frank Shankwitz, Secretary Mike Kwinn and Vice-Chair Tom Sullivan. Andreala, Cardone, Kwinn and Sullivan are all residents of Monroe.