Free Republic

Emma Banks knows all about the adventure she and her family headed off to Friday. "We're going on a trip to the Bahamas," announced the 3-year-old who turns 4 today, after some helpful whispering from big brother Parker, who is 7. "We're going to swim with the dolphins." It's a big deal for the little girl from Mooresville, N.C. It's also a significant milestone for both the Make-A-Wish Foundation and for the inspiring legacy left by another young girl, Hope Stout. Emma is the 155th child granted a wish through Celebration of Hope, the astonishing fund-raiser inspired by 12-year-old Hope...

Man gives $100,000; family skips trip, donates $5,000. As a 12-year-old with bone cancer fell gravely ill this week, people in the Carolinas rushed to help make her wish come true. One man brought a certified check for $100,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Tuesday. He asked to remain anonymous. Instead of asking for something for herself, Hope Stout asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina to grant the wishes of the other 155 children on the agency's list. The organization hopes to raise $1 million by mid-January to grant wishes for the children, who suffer from...