For Kristin Williams, a Directions employee who volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin®, a recent excursion to Best Buy was a chance to make a dream come true for one local boy.

Williams, a wish granter for five years, was instrumental in granting the wish of 10-year-old Colton, whose dream was to go shopping for a Wii gaming system and accessories, with one special guest – Green Bay Packers fullback, John Kuhn.

After an hour of non-stop shopping, Colton and family, along with Kuhn, finished the evening with dinner, where another surprise awaited – Kuhn invited the family as his personal guests for a preseason game in August.

Williams’ involvement extends from helping the family fill out necessary paperwork to arranging and coordinating wish-day details. She also acts as a liaison between the family and the chapter field office, located in Appleton.

Since its inception in 1984, the Wisconsin Chapter of Make-A-Wish, headquartered in Milwaukee, has granted more than 3,800 wishes with 184,000 nationwide. Currently, more than 200 children are in the process of having their wishes fulfilled. Children with life-threatening conditions are eligible after receiving doctors’ approval, with the most common wish request being a trip to Disney World. But wishes are as grand as a child’s imagination, with many now enjoying international travel.

Other wishes Williams is working on include an 11-year-old girl’s wish to travel to California to visit the locations where her favorite book characters hang out, and a 7-year-old boy’s wish to have his room redecorated in a GI-Joe theme.

Directions recognizes the importance of serving the community and has many employees engaged in helping an array of local organizations. Periodically, throughout the year, Directions holds various fundraiser-type activities or donation opportunities that further this volunteer spirit.

Kristin, Proofreader