The Rainbow Connection is celebrating its 40th birthday this year while looking back on its first wish granted in 1985 featuring “The Greatest”, Muhammed Ali, and a 16-year-old named John Bowden. 

On July 26, 1985, a moment of magic and hope marked the beginning of a journey that would transform thousands of lives. It was on this day that The Rainbow Connection fulfilled its very first wish, laying the foundation for a mission that continues to bring joy, comfort, and inspiration to children and families across Michigan.

Bowden, a patient at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, had a dream of meeting the legendary Muhammad Ali, and true to their mission, The Rainbow Connection made it happen. Muhammad Ali didn’t just visit John that day—he brought his warmth and charisma to every child receiving treatment at the hospital. The Champ’s visit not only fulfilled a wish but also symbolized the lengths The Rainbow Connection would go to make dreams come true.

Since that first wish, The Rainbow Connection has helped thousands of children with life-threatening illnesses experience the extraordinary. From meeting heroes and traveling to dream destinations to experiencing once-in-a-lifetime moments, the organization works tirelessly to make the impossible possible. 

“Stemming from that very first wish, with our partners at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, The Rainbow Connection has vowed to support the Wish Children and their families throughout the entire journey. The Rainbow Connection…it’s more than a wish!,” said Ingrid Todt, Executive Director and CEO. 

This first wish also sparked a profound, 40-year partnership with the healthcare professionals fighting alongside Wish Families. Hospitals like Children’s Hospital of Michigan. This collaboration ensures that families not only receive access to wishes but also benefit from year-round support. 

For many Wish Children, The Rainbow Connection remains a source of hope long after their wish is granted. Through the Wish Child Scholarship Program, they help children pursue their dreams of higher education, providing competitive scholarships to post-high school education. The Special Response Program provides emergency assistance in the form of food, clothing, utilities, transportation, and any other needs that arise. Wish Families are able to utilize the Enhancement Program which provides free, fun opportunities to enjoy sporting, theatrical or community events. 

About The Rainbow Connection

The Rainbow Connection is the only Michigan-based nonprofit granting wishes and providing support services to Michigan children with life-threatening illnesses. Since its first wish in 1985, The Rainbow Connection has made dreams come true for more than 4,300 children. Celebrating its 40th birthday, The Rainbow Connection is more than just a wish. Wish Families also receive critical needs support, annual Wish Child events, and college scholarships to celebrate Wish Children as they navigate the next phase of life. 

For more information and to take part in celebrating The Rainbow Connection’s 40th birthday, visit www.rainbowconnection.org. 

Senya, a special wish child from Marquette, first met with The Rainbow Connection in November 2022. She loves to be active and has many hobbies, including mountain biking, basketball, and soccer. Even though Senya has been battling cancer since October 2022, she is a ray of sunshine with a big smile.

Dreaming about her wish gave Senya something to look forward to during her leukemia treatments. After many hospital visits, chemo sessions, pokes, and much needed recovery, she and her family were so excited to be ready to travel for her wish in March 2023!

Her wish was to visit the theme parks in Central Florida and it was certainly one to remember! Highlights from Senya’s trip include riding the Yeti and Avatar rides at Animal Kingdom, watching the orca show at SeaWorld, and enjoying lots of yummy snacks! In addition, Miss Mary, the large bunny character who “runs” Give Kids the World Village, came to read a story and tuck Senya into bed each night!

Senya’s parents shared, “It was an unforgettable experience and a blessing to see our daughters have so much fun.” Her mom even said they continue to hear her talk about her wish every day since they have returned. Senya does not let cancer hold her back and recently won first place in the 100-yard dash at her track meet! Keep shining bright, Senya! We are so proud of you!

The Rainbow Connection office is bustling with excitement and delivery packages! Over the next month, more than 15 wish families will be traveling to Disney World.  We wanted to take you behind the scenes on how our wish department prepare for these exciting moments!

Approximately 1-2 weeks prior to the wish date, our wish coordinators assemble and deliver wish delivery packages to our wish families. A wish delivery package for Disney World contains all of the wish details, Rainbow Connection T-shirts, personalized Mickey ears, spending cards, and fun surprises for the kids! 

Most importantly, the delivery package includes a wish binder! This contains all the specific details for the wish including reservation details, activities, contact list, and more! Each family receives a custom wish binder. Once they’ve had a chance to review it, their wish coordinator schedules a call to walk them through the details, answering any questions along the way. It’s important that our families feel ready and excited for their wish! 

  If families are traveling to Florida for a wish trip to Disney World, they stay at Give Kids the World, an incredible village only available to wish families. Their staff is on duty 24/7 to help with any needs that may arise during their stay.   

Make sure to follow us on Facebook @rainbowconnectionmichigan to see more wish stories and pictures over the next few months!

Wish Child Jennifer received her wish to go to Hawaii in 2004. Recently, she re-connected with Ingrid, her Wish Coordinator, and wanted to share the impact of her experience with The Rainbow Connection.

“The Rainbow Connection is a charity with a life lasting impact, creating memories and life changing moments long after the granted “wish”. For me, looking back twenty years (wow!), the impact of the opportunities provided by what many think is a single wish, is so much more than that. This organization becomes an integral part of your family, providing financial support if needed, special events for the families until eighteen, scholarships for trade school/community college/University and more.

The impact that The Rainbow Connection had on my life from childhood into adulthood forever shaped my life, through the Enhancement Program where me and my family were able to attend the Darren McCarty Cancer Foundation Dinner, Disney On Ice, sporting games, concerts and holiday parties, just to name a few.

I cannot thank The Rainbow Connection and the donors enough that sponsor wish trips and provide donations for countless programs.

To think, way back in 2003, I was eleven years old and facing cancer. I became a Wish Ambassador at Fire On Ice in 2004 (my wish sponsor: Detroit Fire Fighters Association). Little did I know from that point forward The Rainbow Connection would truly change my life. They gave me and my family a child-like happiness away from the hospital and doctors. I also was able to receive college scholarships that helped me graduate from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science and less of a financial burden.

Today I am a Senior Cancer Clinical Research Coordinator working as part of a team in the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium. I can never say thank you enough.

Jennifer, we are so happy you continue to be part of The Rainbow Connection family and are so proud to see all that you have accomplished!

2023 was a spectacular year at The Rainbow Connection!

In 2023, 157 wishes were granted to Michigan children with life threatening illnesses. We are so honored to meet each and every one of these children and see the joy and happiness their wishes provide. We also provided assistance to wish families through our Enhancement Program, Special Response Program and Adopt a Family Program! 

157 Wishes Came True! 

• 107 Disney World wishes!

• 16 travel wishes including Smoky Mountains, Hawaii and more!

• 28 shopping sprees!

• 6 in the “other” category which includes concerts, family photo sessions and meet & greets!

Each wish is unique to the child and provides them something to look forward to during treatments and hospital stays. This year, we even had a wish to go horseback riding at Yellowstone National Park and a wish to visit Savannah, GA for Ghost Tours! 

1,400 wish children and their families were served through our Special Response Program! This included a Winter Coat drive, School Supply drive, grocery gift cards and more! 

“Novalynn’s package came in today and she was in awe when she saw the gloves & hat!! Those colors are her favorites & it’s so soft! The gloves will be perfect for building a snowman. I had to do a double take when I saw the gift card…thank you guys so much!!!”

4,500+ tickets were given out to wish families through the Enhancement Program! This year, we were able to provide tickets to Sesame Street Live, Disney on Ice, Paw Patrol Live, Monster Jam, Detroit Lions Training Camp, the Detroit Auto Show AND MORE! This also includes our Wish Family Holiday Party which occurred at the beginning of December. 100+ families were in attendance and it was a great way to kick off the holiday season!  This program allows us to provide wish families with additional experiences beyond their wish and continue to stay part of The Rainbow Connection family. 

Last but certainly not least, is our Adopt a Family Program! 177 families were adopted for the holiday season this year!! 

This program is possible because of the generosity of our community and donors. So many Michigan families are going to be having a very magical holiday season and that is all thanks to YOU! A wish family shared their appreciation for the Adopt a Family gifts,

“We can’t express how much we appreciate your help. This has been a long road, harder than we imagined. We’re so blessed to be a part of this beautiful, caring community.”

Each year, current and former Rainbow Connection wish children can apply for a $1,000 scholarship as they pursue a post high school education.   With the support from the Four County Community Foundation, TRC was able to provide funding for two of our 2023 wish child applicants who live in St. Clair and Oxford, Michigan.  These scholarships not only decrease the financial burden of education for young adults and their families, but also supports our wish children as they look to serve the community in the future.

Saint Clair resident, Dylan, is attending SC4, a local community college this fall. He wants to transfer to a university in a few years to pursue a degree in Medicine and become a Family Physician. His wish to receive a Polaris Ranger ATV came true in 2018!

Oxford resident, Gibson, is attending Kettering University pursuing an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. He hopes to continue his education and attend medical school to be a pediatric oncologist. Gibson’s wish to go to Yellowstone National Park came true in 2019!

TRC is incredibly grateful to the Four County Community Foundation for their continued support of our wish children. In 2023, The Rainbow Connection was able to award 25 scholarships to wish children across Michigan. With the help of our partners, like the Four County Community Foundation, outside donations and grants we look forward to a successful program next year, and many years to come!

The Rainbow Connection’s Annual Wish Family Picnic took place this past month. This event is an opportunity to connect with our wish families, kick off summer and HAVE FUN! The children enjoyed face painting, inflatables and even an appearance from Spiderman! Local non-profits including Gilda’s Club Detroit, Bottomless Toy Chest, Camp Casey and more provide arts and crafts stations. The Sterling Heights Firefighters provide a wonderful meal for all 400 attendees. It is an incredible day full of smiles and laughter!

Additionally, this year several Tim Horton’s owners from the Metro Detroit area were in attendance to present funds raised through their Smile Cookie campaign held in May. 100% of each Smile Cookie sold in the Metro Detroit area went directly to The Rainbow Connection. At the wish picnic, they presented their check for over $60,000! This event was a wonderful way to celebrate this fundraiser and all the wishes granted at The Rainbow Connection. Thank you, Tim Hortons!

The Rainbow Connection’s mission is to make dreams come true for Michigan children with life threatening illnesses. As the Wish Department worked with wish families over the years, it became obvious that additional assistance was needed for wish families as they care for their child. The Special Response Program was designed to address these unexpected financial needs in the areas of utilities, housing, clothing, transportation and food.

Markus, a 12-year-old with sickle cell anemia, and his family were struggling after a power outage. His mom had to throw away much of their food supply leaving them with an unexpected need. Markus’ mom says,

 “My family is forever grateful for this generous assistance to defray the cost of replacing food that was ruined due to a massive power outage. This really made my day and I can’t say thank you enough.”

Additionally, food assistance was provided to 2-year-old Jayce and his family in Detroit. Jayce has a neurological condition and his care has become their primary focus. His mom says,

            “Having a child with so many medical needs can make you feel alone but The Rainbow Connection always makes us feel like an important part of a great big family of people who can relate to our struggles.”

In 2022, over $90,000 was provided in Special Response assistance. This impacted 237 wish families and over 1,000 wish family members. To find out more about this program visit, https://www.rainbowconnection.org/wishes-and-more/special-response-program/

The Rainbow Connection is bringing back the Movie Marathon fundraiser on Saturday, February 25 at the beautiful Emagine Theater in Macomb. This fun-filled event will begin at 9:00am and will end at 9:00pm. All tickets purchased include 12 hours of first-run movies and unlimited pop and popcorn for just $65.00 a ticket!

Enjoy a day away from the cold weather and enjoy the latest movies being released! Bring a blanket to stay cozy and enjoy all the popcorn and pop that you can eat and drink! With a variety of movies to choose from, there is sure to be something for everyone!

Movie Marathon is perfect to attend as a day trip for the family, as a date with a loved one or for some much needed “me-time”! Most importantly, this fundraiser helps raise crucial funds to grant wishes for Michigan children with life threatening medical conditions. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased by going to rainbowconnection.org or calling 248-601-9474.

Since 1985, The Rainbow Connection has been granting wishes for Michigan children with life threatening illnesses and providing support services to wish families in need. Although a lot has changed over the 38 years since the organization began, the magic of a wish continues to provide hope and joy to Michigan children. Over 4,000 wishes have been granted by The Rainbow Connection, which include wishes to Disney World, shopping sprees and celebrity meet and greets.

To learn more about the Movie Marathon and purchase tickets or sponsorships, click here!

Each year, current and former Rainbow Connection wish children can apply for a $1,000 scholarship for up to four years as they pursue a post high school education.   With the support from the Four County Community Foundation, TRC was able to provide funding for three of our 2022 wish child applicants who live in Oxford & Lake Orion, Michigan.  These scholarships not only decrease the financial burden of education for young adults and their families, but also supports our wish children as they look to serve the community in the future.

Oxford resident, Steven, is attending Oakland Community College pursuing a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Public Policy.

Lake Orion resident, Olivia, is attending Oakland University. She is currently working at Beaumont as a nurse assistant and in the process of applying for Oakland’s nursing program. She looks forward to working as a Pediatric Nurse after completing the program.

Oxford resident, Gibson, is attending Kettering University pursuing an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering. He hopes to continue his education and attend medical school to be an oncologist.

TRC is incredibly grateful to the Four County Community Foundation for their support of our wish children. We look forward to continuing our Scholarship Program this year and granting scholarships to more students ready to make their impact in their community.