Make-A-Wish director talks with Rotarians

On March 24, Ashley Sodergren, director of the South Valley Regional Office of Make-A-Wish and a Tehachapi resident, spoke to local Rotarians about the needs and operations of the organization and specifically the Bakersfield office.

Sodergren said that a child is diagnosed with a critical illness every 20 minutes. Wishes that are granted by Make-A-Wish give hope to children with critical illnesses, as well as those with terminal illnesses. There are currently 102 children waiting for wishes to be granted in the Kern County Region including five in Tehachapi. The cap for granting a wish is $10,000 and there is a limit to travel requests and the number of people that can be included in a wish. Wish-granting volunteers are desperately needed, as well as assistance from the medical community.

Sodergren said the Regional Council has set building the local organization a priority with emphasis on internships, event support and recruiting wish-grantors. Anyone wishing to help can contact the South Valley regional office at (661) 489-1341.

The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is a volunteer service organization with the motto "Service Above Self." The club meets on Thursdays at noon. For more information about Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/ or contact club President Paul Kaminski, (661) 699-5851.