NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This Friday, Dec. 9, Macy’s and Make-A-Wish will celebrate the eighth annual National Believe Day, a pinnacle moment of this year’s Believe campaign. Macy’s will commemorate the occasion with a double donation for the Believe letter writing program and the return of Wishes Across America, a day devoted to granting incredible wishes for children across the country with life-threatening medical conditions.
“National Believe Day is one of our favorite times of the year, where our partners at Make-A-Wish, Macy’s customers and employees come together to help make wishes come true for wish kids and their families,” said Holly Thomas, group vice president of Cause Marketing for Macy’s. “Along with these incredible wishes, we’re bringing back double donation, which is a huge opportunity to raise an additional $1 million for Make-A-Wish on National Believe Day alone.”
National Believe Day
Since early November, Macy’s has invited customers of all ages to drop their letters to Santa at their local Macy’s store or send online via macys.com/believe. Macy’s will donate $1, up to $1 million, to Make-A-Wish for every letter collected through Dec. 24.
For National Believe Day on Dec. 9, Macy’s will offer a double donation, providing an additional $1 per letter to Make-A-Wish, up to an extra $1 million, above the existing $1 million campaign goal. In addition, Macy’s and Make-A-Wish will celebrate Wishes Across America by granting wishes in Macy’s stores across the country, bringing together wish kids and their families, Macy’s employees and local communities. Wishes will be granted to children like Jake (age 16), who wishes to have a guitar, Alyla (age 3), who wishes to be a princess, and Kayla (age 14), who wishes to create a professional modeling portfolio.
The Believe campaign was inspired by the true story of 8-year-old Virginia, who wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897 asking about the existence of Santa. The classic response, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus …,” penned by Francis P. Church, became the most reprinted editorial in any English-language newspaper. The season also marks a major milestone, as Macy’s will celebrate $100 million in total giving to Make-A-Wish since 2003, with nearly $13 million donated through the Believe campaign.
Celebrate with “Yes, Virginia”
This Friday, Dec. 9, the “Yes, Virginia” animated special will air online at youtube.com/macys. The award-winning, half-hour holiday program features a star-studded cast including Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alfred Molina and Beatrice Miller in the title role. The cast also includes former wish child Taylor Hay, who had her wish granted when her voice was captured for one of the film’s characters.
To learn more about the Believe campaign and the children who will have their wishes granted on National Believe Day, visit macys.com/believe. For media materials, including images and b-roll, visit http://pimsmultimedia.com/macys-holiday2016/believe.php .
About Macy’s
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at 734 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores -- including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California -- are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.
For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.
About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 35 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.
