Rock Valley Physical Therapy, 635 E. Lincolnway, in Morrison, IL, will host a community Doggie Dress Up Contest, on Saturday, June 24, 2023, beginning at 9:00 a.m. It will be held at Morrison Bark Park, 700 N. Genessee Street. There is a $10 contestant fee.

Rock Valley Therapy has been challenged to raise $500, with all proceeds donated to “Make-A-Wish” Foundation of America. Members of the public who come to watch the event are invited to support “Make-A-Wish,” with a donation of any amount.

Three judges will choose three winners to receive a prize. There will be a prize for the smallest dog, a medium-sized dog, and a large dog.

Join in the local canine amusement, and join in support of making children’s wishes come true.

More About Make-A-Wish, “Make-A-Wish Is Not Just for Sick or Dying Kids” by Tracy Felix

We were recently at a doctor appointment with our 3 1/2 year old son when the doctor asked, “had we ever thought about applying for a wish to be granted from the Make-A-Wish Foundation?” Of course, we said, “No.” We thought that was only for kids with cancer or some other disease, that may cause them to pass away before their time.

Now, with our son’s condition, he is likely to pass away sooner than most other kids, but he is not sick. He has actually been doing really well. He is just disabled and has a rare genetic disorder.

We talked about a few different [wish request] options, but have not narrowed anything down yet. We are strongly contemplating…asking for a camper. We want our son to have as many experiences as we can fit in, and a camper will definitely help us do that!

If you think that your child may qualify, I encourage you to apply. Here is how.
1. Go to their web site at http://wish.org.
2. On the top of the Home page is a “Local Chapters” tab. Click on that, and a drop box will appear.
3. Type in your zip code, and it will direct you to your local chapter.
4. On the top of the Home page is also a tab for “Refer a Child.” This is where you will find an application (or referral inquiry form); ideas for wishes; who can refer a child.
5. Just fill out the one-page referral form, and hit the Submit button at the end.
6. That’s it! Now just wait for [Make-A-Wish Foundation of America] to contact you and tell you what the next step is.

The Wish Grantors that came out to our house were so nice! And they both lived in the town next to ours, so they were only about 15 minutes away from our house. They both left their numbers and email addresses, so we can contact them at any time, if we have any questions. I can’t wait to meet with them again and nail down what wish they will grant our son!