Listen: Our Top 7 Holiday Wish Week Highlights for 2023

Gazelle, Maddie and I just finished up our 9th Holiday Wish Week with the United Way of Greater New Bedford.  It is by far the most fast-paced, emotional week of the year here at Fun 107, and we enjoy every single minute of it. For our show, there's nothing that gets us in the holiday spirit more than witnessing the SouthCoast come together to help one another in our time of need.

My favorite part of Holiday Wish Week is when we get calls from the kids. It's not unusual to have kids texting in donations for $10 or $15. Think about it: $10 to an 8-year-old is about a hundred bucks. Each donation is a major donation, and they all combine to make a serious impact on struggling local families right here on the SouthCoast.

Throughout the week, we experience what we call "magic moments."  We never really know how each day is going to go for a particular family, but if there's one thing I've learned about Holiday Wish Week it's that the people of the SouthCoast are among the most generous in America, and they will always surprise you when you least expect it.

That being said, in no particular order, here are seven of our favorite Holiday Wish Week moments from 2023.

MONDAY

Paul and Bernice Flanagan from Aaron Pools and Spas set the tone for the entire week.

TUESDAY

Not a dry eye in the studio after New Bedford Police Officer Tony Esteves decided to call in and donate NBHS track sweatshirts/sweatpants to Kyle Amaral. Every time I think about it, I get a lump in my throat. To think that Christopher will be putting on that sweatshirt for years to come means everything.

TUESDAY

Colony Dry Wall in Westport knocks our socks off with a donation that will climb to more than $2,500. It's followed by a call from a man who gave the gift of life to someone.

WEDNESDAY

Our favorite moment happened off the radio when the moms from the Bishop Stang High School football team heard about the school's custodian, Mr. Chagnon, and raised $1,000 for him. They learned about his injuries and his wife's illnesses on Holiday Wish.

THURSDAY

Dr. Jauna Souza from Souza Family Orthodontics called into Holiday Wish Week to take care of two monster payments for the Barcellos family.

FRIDAY

Two of our favorite Holiday Wish moments this week came back to back just before 8 a.m. Friday as the SouthCoast was rallying to help a woman who had fled domestic violence. It was one of our biggest donations of the week, followed by one of the most heartfelt.