Make-A-Wish In the News

April 7, 2003, Lake Success, New York - UAW-GM, general Motors and the Make-A-Wish Foundation "Shift Into Gear" to Grant Unique Wish for Brooklyn Youth. Alex, 16, from Brooklyn, N.Y. – who battles a rare form of bone cancer – has an all-consuming passion for automobiles, spending countless hours reading about them … even creating his own designs for the “cars of tomorrow.”  

When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York asked him to choose a wish, Alex – a particular aficionado of General Motors (GM) vehicles – wished to be “Boss for a Day” at GM and to share his designs with the company's executives and designers.

Alex's adventure – with support from the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources (CHR) and the General Motors Corporation – will begin April 15 in his own hometown as a special guest of GM, receiving a VIP tour of GM exhibits at the New York International Auto Show (open to the public April 18-27) at the Jacob Javits Convention Center and attend GM special events scheduled during the show.

April 15, Alex attends GM's Luxury Group Reception for the world-wide introduction of the Cadillac CTS V-Series and the North American reveal of the 9-3 Convertible.   There, Alex will meet Gary Cowger, president, General Motors North America, and Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman, product development and chairman, GM North America.  

April 16, Alex attends the GM Diversity media reception at City Hall restaurant in Tribeca.

April 17, Alex will attend the Chevy Malibu Maxx press conference reception at the Javits Convention Center, where he will get his first glimpse of Chevrolet's newest sport vehicle.   He will then receive a VIP tour of GM exhibits at the International Auto Show.

April 24, Alex will travel to Detroit and spend time touring local attractions.   April 25, he will visit GM's corporate headquarters, tour the GM World exhibit of current and historical GM cars and trucks, meet GM executives and assume his duties as “Honorary Boss for the Day.”  

Later that day, Alex will receive a private tour of the nearby Warren Tech Center, which is headquarters for the GM Design department's 200 creative designers and 250 sculptors, who create new vehicle designs for Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, HUMMER and Saturn.   There, he will present his own car designs (carried in his new executive briefcase) to the design team, which will demonstrate how creative designs become vehicles, utilizing a combination of high-tech computer tools and traditional craftsmanship (like clay modeling).

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.   It is the largest wish-granting organization in the world, with 76 chapters in the United States and its territories and 27 international affiliates on five continents. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 100,000 wishes to children around the world since 1980.

Together, since 1999, the International Union, UAW (UAW) and the General Motors Corporation (GM) are committed to the largest sponsorship in the history of the Foundation and have helped to grant thousands of children's wishes all across America.

In support of this sponsorship, the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources (UAW-GM CHR), UAW-GM people, GM employees and GM dealers in communities around the country have personally committed to volunteerism, fund raising and wish granting …truly Making Smiles Standard Equipment ® for these courageous children.

The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy. The union has approximately 740,000 members and over 500,000 retired members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.  The UAW represents 130,000 hourly and salaried workers at General Motors.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs 349,000 people globally in its core automotive business and subsidiaries.   Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931.   GM Today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190 countries.   In 2002, GM sold more than 8.5 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market.   GM's global headquarters is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.   More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's consumer website at www.gm.com .

The UAW-GM Center for Human Resources (CHR) was jointly established in 1984 to meet the education and training needs of UAW-represented workers at General Motors. The Center has become one of the world's largest privately operated training centers, serving the needs of over 130,000 UAW active and retired employees of General Motors. From its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, the Center offers a wide variety of programs addressing: occupational health and safety and wellness, skill development and education, work-family issues, product quality and programs that benefit the communities in which UAW members and retirees work and reside.