Miles for Smiles

Annual Miles for Smiles Campaign Collects Over 4.5M Miles for Conn. Make-A-Wish Kids

NBC Universal, Inc.

NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut partnered with Make-A-Wish Connecticut for its annual Miles for Smiles airline miles donation drive last week.

During the campaign, which ran from Monday, January 24 to Friday, January 28, officials said 4,509,542 miles were donated and $8,204 in monetary donations were collected.

Make-A-Wish Connecticut President and CEO Pam Keough discusses this year's Miles for Smiles campaign and how you can help make wishes come true for Make-A-Wish CT kids. The Miles for Smiles campaign runs from January 24 through January 28.

The Miles that were donated to Make-A-Wish will never expire once transferred to the organization and help offset costs to buy flights for wish kids and their families.

Fast Facts About Travel Wishes:

  • Percentage of wishes involving travel: 70+ percent
  • Average number of miles needed for one domestic round-trip ticket: 50,000
  • Average cost of a round-trip ticket: $750
Four-year-old Grace from Wolcott loves the outdoors and her wish to travel came true thanks to Make-A-Wish CT. All this week you can donate your unused airline miles or make monetary donations online to help Make-A-Wish Connecticut grant local wishes! Visit nbcconnecticut.com/miles

While Make-A-Wish Connecticut has begun to safely grant domestic travel wishes, 100 Connecticut wish kids with critical illnesses are still waiting for their travel wishes to come true this year.

A granted wish can have a lifelong impact on a wish kid, positively impacting their health and emotional well-being. Wishes can also give the child's family support and hope when dealing with a severe illness.

Nine- year-old Bodie and his family look forward to having his wish granted after beating cancer for the second time.
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