The following is a reply to my email stating concerns and disappointment to Petri Darby and the Make a Wish foundation. A foundation my wife and I have supported for a long time... but no more.
I understand that recent inaccurate news accounts that have circulated among hunting magazines and over the Internet regarding a change in the Make-A-Wish Foundation's wish-granting policy have caused considerable concern and frustration among members of the hunting and sport-shooting community. I am writing to share with you in detail exactly what has, and what has not, happened with respect to our commitment to fulfilling children's wishes.
As you may know, in January of this year safety concerns led the Make-A-Wish Foundation to conclude that it is not in the best interests of the children we serve for us to continue considering wishes that involve firearms, hunting bows, or other hunting or sport-shooting equipment. This was never intended as a value judgment or an advocacy position against hunting or gun ownership. Please allow me to set the record straight about the exact intent and nature of this decision.
Certainly the members of the hunting and sport-shooting community agree with us that safety is the number one consideration when engaging in activities involving firearms or other hunting tools. Indeed, many concerned individuals have accurately pointed out that accident statistics show fewer youngsters are hurt in hunting and sport shooting each year than in activities as common as high school sports. We agree with this observation.
And certainly, we can also agree that there is an even higher level of safety consideration that must be taken into account when such activities involve children weakened by a life-threatening illness, powerful medicines, treatment therapies and surgeries. We have concluded that the Make-A-Wish Foundation cannot ensure safety of the wish children and anyone else involved in the wish experience, given these unique considerations.
Again, this does not mean that we are opposed to hunting or the legal use of firearms, bows or other sport-shooting equipment. In fact, we have heard from several hunting and sport-shooting organizations that have offered to provide children with hunting or sport-shooting experiences in the unlikely event that a child makes this rare wish request (of the 80,000 wishes we have granted since our founding 20 years ago, fewer than a dozen have been for hunting experiences). Furthermore, any qualified child who receives a hunting experience from an outside organization would still be eligible to receive a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
We base all of our wish-granting decisions solely on what is best for the children we serve. While we never want to disappoint a qualified wish child, on rare occasions the most responsible answer - although it is the most difficult to convey - is "no," because the child's request simply is not possible to fulfill, or it carries a higher degree of risk than we are able to guard against.
And, while our intent is not to disappoint individuals or community groups who support us, when our decisions on behalf of wish children conflict with the values or agendas of special interest groups, we also have to deliver difficult answers to them. For instance, animal rights activists continue to protest the Make-A-Wish Foundation over certain wishes we grant, including fishing expeditions and sending children to watch the Iditarod dog sled event in Alaska. In fact, animal rights activists continue to protest our policy regarding firearms because they believe it is a "cop-out" for us to find hunting organizations that will accommodate the hunting requests of our wish children. Regardless of their pressure, we will continue to handle these wish requests in the manner we see fit, because we believe firmly that this course of action is in the best interests of the children we serve.
Wishes involving firearms are not the only ones we are unable to fulfill because of safety concerns. We also do not fulfill wishes for gifts of motorized vehicles, to construct in-ground swimming pools, or for such activities as bungee jumping. While it gives us no pleasure to decline these sorts of wishes, the safety implications are such that we cannot grant them without exposing the wish children and their families to an inordinate amount of risk.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation has always been sustained by the support of the communities it serves, and throughout our history we have been particularly gratified by the support of hunters and outdoor sporting enthusiasts. Please rest assured that your concerns are our concerns, and that we share a common goal to do what is best for the children with life-threatening illnesses whom it is our privilege to serve.
I hope this answers your concerns, and I truly appreciate your candor on this topic.
Sincerely,
petri
__________________________________________________________
Petri R.J. Darby
Share the Power of a Wish
Brand Manager
Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses
to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.
pdarby@wish.org
3550 N. Central, Suite 300
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 279-WISH x5127
fax (602) 279-0855