Two remarkable local women recently earned recognition for their efforts to make a difference in the lives of others.
Silver Peltier and Camille Sochaski both participated in the 2024 Women for Wishes campaign, a national signature event for the organization Make-A-Wish Canada that provides children with critical illnesses the opportunity to realize their most heartfelt wish.
For the Women for Wishes campaign, 100 women across Canada come together with their communities in an effort to fundraise or donate a minimum of $10,000, the symbolic cost of a wish.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, a reception held at the Winnipeg Winter Club celebrated the Manitoban women who participated in the 2024 Women for Wishes campaign.
Melanie Johnston, Make-A-Wish Canada’s development officer for Manitoba and Nunavut, said Peltier and Sochaski have made a significant impact together towards the organization’s goal of raising funds to help kids with critical illnesses.
“Every year, Silver and her husband Gary — with the help of the Wish Ride committee and a whole ton of volunteers — organizes Ride for a Child’s Wish, which has raised about $1.8 million in the last 34 years. It’s a full-day fundraising event where community members raise money through pledges and participate in a 250-kilometre motorcycle ride or a 10-mile trail ride,” Johnston said.
“Camille has supported and volunteered for Ride for A Child’s Wish for a number of years, and generously made a contribution of $10,000 to the Women for Wishes campaign.”
Since its inception in 2023, Women for Wishes has united women from coast to coast, raising more than $1.8 million to help grant wishes for children with critical illnesses.
“Across Canada, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness every two hours and, as such, the need to grant wishes is at an all-time high. Wishes are treatment and are essential to improve the health outcomes of children with critical illnesses,” Johnston said.
“While health care cannot always change the outcome for a sick child, a wish will always improve the journey and must be included alongside the medical care of every sick child.”
Women for Wishes is a transformative campaign and a powerful movement dedicated to bringing joy and hope to children and families who need it most.
“Fundraising campaigns like Women for Wishes are crucial in seeing that every child who is eligible can receive a wish,” Johnson said.
“The efforts of women like Silver and Camille allow us to continue granting wishes and giving children and their families a much-needed respite from the difficulties of critical illness.”
At the recognition reception, Make-A-Wish staff thanked each participant with a unique necklace designed and sponsored by Paris Jewellers. A wish family shared their personal story, the impact of a wish and provided a heartfelt thank you to Women for Wishes participants for their generous support.
Although Peltier doesn’t seek recognition for her decades of fundraising, she said it was nice to see the other women who had also raised money for Women for Wishes and Make-A-Wish.
“I’ve been involved with the fundraiser Women for Wishes because it is another way to raise money for Make-A-Wish since we have many kids that are waiting for their wishes,” said Peltier, who lives in the Woodlands area.
“Make-A-Wish (formally Children’s Wish Foundation) has been our charity for going on 35 years this year. It is all about the children and our hope that they all get to have their wishes.”
Similarly, Sochaski doesn’t believe that volunteering or donating should be done with the expectation of receiving anything in return. Nonetheless, she said it was an incredible honour to be recognized, to hear from the wish families and to meet like-minded people.
“My husband Gordon and I have volunteered at the Wish Ride in Woodlands for over 30 years where we’ve made some wonderful friends while helping to raise money for a good cause. Hearing directly from wish families about the impact of a wish and feeling their gratitude just makes you want to be a part of it,” said Sochaski, who lives just north of Stony Mountain.
“In 2023, my husband and I helped others reach their fundraising goals by donating money and by attending fundraising events. I was invited to the 2023 recognition evening, which is when I decided I wanted to make a larger contribution by being one of the Women for Wishes.”
Sochaski added that there are plenty of opportunities to get involved that don’t require a big commitment. For example, she and her husband volunteered the day before the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Trees of Joy event at which wish children received a Christmas tree customized for each of them.
Looking ahead, Peltier and Sochaski encourage everyone to mark their calendars for this year’s Ride for a Child’s Wish on Saturday, Aug. 23. In addition, they’ll be at the Country Girls Market at the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex in Stonewall on Saturday, May 10.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish Canada and its Women for Wishes initiatives, visit www.makeawish.ca.
