2018 Holiday Wish Week Recap [VIDEOS]
It was a weekend of reflection about one of my most satisfying weeks each year here at Fun 107. Holiday Wish Week is always memorable. Year after year, all of us here at Fun 107 are truly astounded by the outpouring of support from the SouthCoast community. There are big donations that come from businesses and wealthy individuals, but there are also the donations of $15, $20 and $25 that add up to make a big, big difference in people's lives.
On Monday, we introduced you to the Newcomber family. With multiple people in this Westport family facing serious medical issues and challenges, they were in desperate need of a renovation in order to keep their daughter in their home. The Fun 107 audience came out to support. The day was capped off, however, by a call from Jason and Derek Couto, who were able to secure $2,500 in materials from the South Coast Business Allicance. They matched the $2,500 donation of materials with $2,500 in labor.
On Tuesday, you met a single mother of two who is battling ovarian cancer alone. Her six-year-old daughter's Holiday Wish was for a telescope, a globe, and glow-in-the-dark planet stickers for her bedroom ceiling. Her two-year-old boy wanted dinosaurs and race cars. Because of your generosity, those Holiday Wishes came true.
Wednesday was all about Yolanda. This single mother of two had worked up until her baby boy was born three months ago. The boy has been receiving services at the Schwartz Center because they fear he may be deaf. The baby had been sleeping in a pack-and-play until this week, when Carefree Homes surprised her with a new crib, mattress and bedding, along with a high chair. Listeners and advertisers pitched in and set the mom up with money to buy furniture for her bare apartment and toys for her older son. Yolanda was even offered a job before the end of the show.
We met a victim of domestic violence on Thursday. This mother of two boys was living in Wareham before her relationship with the boys' father became violent. She's now living in a homeless shelter, working in a laundry facility and trying to save up enough money to move into an apartment of their own. The phone lines blew up to help this family get on their feet.
Finally, on Friday, there was Marco. A senior in automotive at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech, 2018 has been a nightmare for him. Marco lost his mom in May, and tells us that he's struggled with hunger and poverty. However, when we asked him about his Holiday Wish, Marco didn't ask for food or clothes. Marco's Holiday Wish was that his mother receive a proper gravestone. It has bothered him that she didn't have one. Albanese Monuments from Westport called us immediately to offer to grant his wish. At last count before the weekend, the United Way of Greater New Bedford estimates roughly $10,000 in pledged cash and gifts.
Because of the Fun 107 audience, the hopeless are given hope.