A Life Full of Blessings
I have been incredibly fortunate in my life, and I don't take that lightly. My children never needed extra medical care, never faced a critical illness, never had to fight for their health in ways that no child should ever have to. I know how blessed that makes me, and honestly, it's something I think about more than people might realize. But my nephew was a wish kid, and I've also had the privilege of recommending a family to apply for a wish. So while I've been sheltered from the hardest parts, I've never been completely removed from what this world looks like for families who are living it.
Children Are Everything
I am a lover of children through and through, and there is nothing, and I mean nothing, that breaks my heart faster than seeing a child in pain or suffering. When I got pulled into the Make-A-Wish world, something just cracked wide open in me. This cause grabbed at every single one of my heartstrings in a way I wasn't fully prepared for. The kind of way that brings you to tears not because things are sad, but because the work being done is so deeply, profoundly good.
How It All Started
Last fall, a former neighbour reached out and invited me to attend a fundraising event connected to Women for Wishes, an initiative where women are recruited to raise enough funds to actually grant a wish. I went, I listened, and I felt something shift. From there, I had the most beautiful lunch at the PEI Preserve Company with Kathleen Casey, a board member with Women for Wishes here locally, and Samantha Gallant, Executive Director of Make-A-Wish in Atlantic Canada. We sat together, we talked, and by the time that lunch was over I just knew. This was something I needed to be part of.
During that conversation, they also mentioned a Christmas event where wish families are invited to attend, and the venue is filled with decorated trees, each one themed around something a wish kid had actually wished for. I got emotional just hearing about it. Can you imagine being a wish kid and walking into a room like that? The nostalgia, the magic, the feeling of being so completely seen. It's the kind of thing that stays with you.
About the Event
And now, I get to be part of something equally as special. On Saturday, May 30th, 2026, the restaurant at the PEI Preserve Company is hosting Brunch for Wishes, a fundraising event in support of Make-A-Wish Canada. It's a five-course brunch experience set in the restaurant overlooking the stunning Gardens of Hope, paired with live entertainment, a silent auction, and thoughtful moments woven throughout the morning that invite guests to really sit with the impact a wish can have on a child's life. Local businesses and sponsors are involved, there are curated takeaway gifts, and every single detail has been designed to leave you feeling inspired and genuinely connected to something bigger than yourself.
This Is What We Were Put Here to Do
As co-owner of the Preserve Company, this one felt personal from the very beginning. Our motto has always been that we create magic in all we do, and the moment this event started taking shape, that's exactly what it felt like. Magic. Samantha said it so well when she described how powerful a community can be when it shows up with heart and purpose, and I felt that in my bones. Creating space for connection, generosity, and hope around our table, in our restaurant, is exactly what we were put here to do. This is the most natural, most meaningful extension of everything the Preserve Company stands for.
Wishes Are Medicine
Here's what I want you to know about Make-A-Wish. Wishes are not just a nice thing, they are actually medicine. Research shows that granted wishes can improve a child's adherence to treatment, reduce emergency room visits, and deliver lasting health benefits. Over the past 43 years, Make-A-Wish Canada has granted more than 40,000 wishes, including 1,835 last year alone. These are real families, real children, and real moments of hope in some of the hardest seasons of their lives.
My Changemaker Era
I also have a little personal news to share, and honestly it still makes me smile every time I say it. I am now officially one of the Women for Wishes members myself. I am fully in my wanting to give back, changemaker era, and joining this group of women who are out here raising funds and granting wishes just felt completely right. It aligned with everything I believe in and everything I want this next chapter to look like.
Join Us, or Be Part of It From Wherever You Are
Tickets for Brunch for Wishes are $150 per person, with limited seating available, so please don't wait on this one. A tax receipt will also be issued for a portion of each ticket. You can grab your tickets right here.
And if you can't be there in person, I still want you to be part of this. You could sponsor a wish family to attend, or gift a ticket to someone in your life who would love to show up for this cause. Every seat filled is a wish closer to being granted. If you'd like to donate directly to Make-A-Wish, you can do that right here too:
I am so proud to be connected to this event and this cause. Come join us. Let's do something beautiful together.
Lots of love,
Marsha
