Jordan’s commitment to the organization spans 30 years of granting life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses. This year, Make-A-Wish and Jordan celebrate this milestone as well as the hundreds of wishes he has granted and the countless lives changed.

Since Jordan began his involvement with Make-A-Wish in 1989, he has granted hundreds of wishes to children all over the world. In 2008, the sports icon was named Make-A-Wish Chief Wish Ambassador for his unwavering commitment to the organization. Jordan gives more than his time; he has donated and brought in more than $5 million to Make-A-Wish since the partnership began, which moves the organization closer to its vision of granting the wish of every eligible child.

To this day, Jordan remains one of the organization’s most popular wish requests. He inspires wish kids all over the globe, showing them the impossible is possible and inspiring them to reach for new heights. With every wish that Jordan grants, he is reminded of the powerful impact a wish has on a child with a critical illness and their entire family. Jordan is a valuable leader in helping the organization to grant wishes.

“Make-A-Wish is proud to honor the partnership between Michael Jordan and our organization,” said Richard Davis, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Supporters like Michael Jordan are essential in helping Make-A-Wish continue to grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. We are enormously grateful to Jordan’s commitment to wish granting and providing the resources needed to grant more wishes.”

Most recently, Jordan sponsored a space in the new Make-A-Wish America headquarters located in Phoenix. The Michael Jordan Conference Room was designed by Jordan Brand, a division of Nike Inc., and is a functional, collaborative space designed to inspire employees.

“It has been an honor to be part of the Make-A-Wish mission these past 30 years,” said Michael Jordan. “After meeting each wish kid, I truly feel humbled and inspired by their strength and their courage. My parents raised me to give back and granting wishes to these brave kids reminds me why it’s so important.”

Wishes like those granted by Jordan help children to replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with strength. Make-A-Wish is immensely appreciative to Jordan for his ongoing dedication to reach above and beyond for wish kids all over the globe.

This article originally appeared on Look To The Stars.

The post Michael Jordan and Make-A-Wish Celebrate 30 Years of Granting Wishes Together appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.

So, when Jordan heard about Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit that pairs youth facing the highest risks with a salaried, professional mentor (a Friend) from kindergarten through graduation, he was sold. Jordan announced today that he is making a multimillion-dollar investment in the organization with the donation of his proceeds from his upcoming ESPN Films and Netflix documentary series, “The Last Dance.”

“What stood out to me about Friends of the Children was that they employ and train their mentors and that they commit to every child for 12 ½ years,” says Jordan. “That dedication is important to me. My mentors believed in me and taught me the power of perseverance. I want youth in Friends of the Children to see that they have that same potential.”

Find out more about Friends of the Children here.

The donation, which is supporting the organization’s national expansion campaign and their work in Charlotte and Chicago, took Friends of the Children over the finish line for an aggressive fundraising campaign: raising $25 million in less than three years. Now in 15 locations across the country and in the U.K., the investment will go toward Friends of the Children’s goal of expanding to 25 cities by 2025, empowering a growing number of youth and families.

“It’s not every day that you get a call that Michael Jordan—arguably most famous athlete in the world— had heard about your organization and wanted to support it. We got that call,” says Terri Sorensen, CEO of Friends of the Children. “We are thrilled beyond measure for this generous gift and recognition for our lasting impact.”

Knowing how his mentors shaped his life, Jordan saw the life-changing potential that youth could find through Friends of the Children. A philanthropist who believes in impact investing, Jordan saw their evidence-based model as an attractive social investment. It’s hard to ignore the outcomes:

83% graduate from high school, although 60% of their parents did not graduate
93% avoid the juvenile justice system, although 50% have parents who were incarcerated
98% avoid early parenting, although 85% were born to a teen parent

A Harvard Business School Association of Oregon return on investment study also found that for every $1 invested in Friends of the Children, the community benefits more than $7 in saved social costs, saving the community $900,000 per child.

With Jordan’s investment, Friends of the Children will be growing their impact in the Two-Generation (2Gen) space which empowers families together, and serving more youth in foster care. The model is also being sought after as a possible solution to counteracting the effects of childhood trauma and toxic stress.

“There are so many communities across the country that we want to serve. With Michael’s investment, we can now expand more quickly to 25 cities,” says Sorensen.

Last spring, in partnership with Nike, Jordan donated the proceeds of a commemorative Michael Jordan Bulls jersey to Friends of the Children, which sold out—and for a good cause. His donation builds on his nationwide efforts to empower youth who are facing the greatest challenges.

This article originally appeared on Look To The Stars.

The post Michael Jordan Makes Multimillion-Dollar Investment In Friends Of The Children appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.