The 14th annual Amazing Race for Children’s Wishes is set for Sept. 10 at the Coronado Cays Yacht Club complete with clues and challenges for boat and bike teams, an auction and most importantly – plenty of fundraising opportunities for Make-A-Wish San Diego.
Make-A-Wish San Diego is a nonprofit organization committed to brightening the lives of children with critical medical conditions.
The San Diego Chapter has granted over 5,000 wishes to local kids, according to Heather Ginsky, the senior manager of Make-A-Wish San Diego.
Yacht clubs in Coronado big contributors
Every year for the past 14 years, Coronado’s three yacht clubs—the Coronado Yacht Club, Coronado Cays Yacht Club and the Navy Yacht Club San Diego—have supported the organization by cumulatively raising more than $1 million at the Amazing Race for Children’s Wishes.
It’s a pretty spectacular community-led event driven by the yacht clubs in Coronado that want to fundraise to help make wishes come true.”
-Heather Ginsky, the senior manager of Make-A-Wish San Diego.
“It’s a pretty spectacular community-led event driven by the yacht clubs in Coronado that want to fundraise to help make wishes come true,” Ginsky said.
The 14th annual race will take place at the Coronado Cays Yacht Club and is open to the public. Boat teams of eight people and 10-person bike teams also will compete in fun challenges around the community.
Mirroring CBS Network’s “The Amazing Race,” this event is packed with team clues, challenges, a costume contest, a lunch, raffle, auction, music and speakers, including a young girl who previously received a wish from the foundation.
Numerous ways to support the cause
Lisa Brenden, who has been involved with the race since its inception 14 years ago, is the chair of the 2023 event.
She said there are plenty of ways to support the cause.
Just by visiting the Amazing Race for Children’s Wishes website, people can donate to a team, the Make-A-Wish foundation, or to the auction. The public is also welcome to register a bike or boat team, or sign up to attend the event.
“You are really making a difference in not only the child’s life, but the whole family’s life.”
-Lisa Brenden, Chair of the 2023 Amazing Race for Children’s Wishes.
“You are really making a difference in not only the child’s life, but the whole family’s life, because when you have a child that is sick, the caregivers are hugely impacted as well,” Brenden said. “So you are not only making a difference for the child, but really for the whole family and their healing process.”
Goal: Raise $100,000
Ginsky said the goal for Sept. 10 is to raise $100,000, and this amount will greatly help the number of children who will be granted a wish, which varies in cost depending on the child’s interest.
“It could be a trip; it could be meeting a celebrity; it could be being a San Diego Padre for the day, so it really varies because every wish is unique,” Ginsky said.
About 200 and 300 people usually join in on the fun, Brenden said.
