We at Ghirardelli are proud to be in our third year of supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® — an organization that gives hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. As a sponsor, helping create cherished memories for these special children and their families is both inspiring and rewarding. Below are just two of the wishes we've helped grant together.

"I wish to be a pastry chef in San Francisco"

Overcoming cancer made Haleigh’s eighth birthday celebration something extra-special – especially since she was also getting ready to see her fondest wish come true.

Haleigh may have gotten the idea for her wish during her cancer treatments, when she would visit a hospital bakery with her mom every day. Delicious pastries, she noticed, were always popular with kids in the hospital. "When I grow up, I want to own a bakery in a kids' hospital so I can make those kids happy, too!” she thought.

Haleigh remembered her dream of making kids happy when the Make-A-Wish Foundation offered to grant her wish. She thought it would be wonderful to be a pastry chef. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish® volunteers and wish sponsor Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, Haleigh would get a taste of life as a pastry chef.

The family traveled from their Indiana hometown to San Francisco, where they were welcomed as guests of honor during a celebration at the famous Ghirardelli Square. The city’s mayor officially proclaimed it "Haleigh’s Day in San Francisco."

In the kitchen of the Ritz-Carlton’s five-star restaurant, Haleigh helped make cookies, cupcakes and even a wedding cake. The next morning, Haleigh worked with the pastry chef at One Market Restaurant. Haleigh baked a cake for her family, who were guests of One Market that night. She also helped prepare a small dessert amusé that was served to all dinner guests that night in celebration of One Market’s 15th anniversary.

"I wish to have a cooking-themed trip to Paris."

Many travelers remember Paris for its architecture and history. But 10-year-old Caroline will always remember the city for a chocolate and hazelnut cake – a perfect match for a wish sponsored by Ghirardelli. While she was being treated for pancreatoblastoma, she asked Make-A-Wish volunteers for a cooking-themed trip to Paris.

After checking into a spectacular 18th century-style hotel, Caroline and her family spent the next several days getting acquainted with the city. Their passes for the L’Open Tour let them explore at their leisure – from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe.

Caroline was eager for Monday, though, when she’d get a chance to cook with the chef of the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome. She helped him prepare the daily lunch service. The cooking lessons continued when she visited the home of the U.S. ambassador to France. She got a behind-the-scenes tour of the ambassador’s historic quarters. His executive chef welcomed Caroline to his kitchen, where she learned to make a soufflé. The ambassador also appeared to welcome her to Paris. Later that afternoon, Caroline enjoyed a tour at the famous Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.

On her last full day in Paris, Caroline reported to Le Cordon Bleu, an elite French cooking and hospitality school dating to 1895. There, she combined her baking skills with her love for chocolate to create the chocolate and hazelnut cake that was the masterpiece of her Make-A-Wish experience.

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors, and entire communities.

As a Make-A-Wish Foundation sponsor, Ghirardelli is committed to granting the wishes of courageous kids like Haleigh and Caroline who are facing life-threatening medical conditions. This holiday season, you can also help wishes come true by donating or volunteering. Find out how by visiting wish.org.