Make A Wish Reveal ft. Carson Storch
Earlier this month, we had the honor of partnering with Make A Wish Oregon to make a local teen’s wish come true. We believe there is nothing better for the soul than living a balanced life full of adventure, and helping provide access to these life-changing experiences is at the core of our Play Forever mission.
Make A Wish grants all kinds of requests, from celebrity meet & greets to prime seats at the Superbowl, but every so often—and maybe more often than not in the Central Oregon community—wishes come in the form of gravity-fueled fun and time outdoors.
Since working at Mt. Bachelor, I’ve seen a handful of Make A Wish requests come through. We’ve arranged sled dog tours, a ride-along in a snow cat, lift tickets, snowboard lessons, rentals, exclusive lunches, and avalanche dog demonstrations. We’ve shown entire families the joy that is being at Mt. Bachelor when snow covers the trees and glistens like a real-world snow globe. But in the summer, it’s a whole different scene.
Our Bike Park is a relatively new add (12 seasons and counting!) to our slate of summer activity offerings, and although there are beginner trails to explore, most of the terrain is not for the faint of heart. Downhill biking requires some technical skills, a dual suspension bike, and more protective gear than one would need for a casual pedal on our local trails.
When Make A Wish reached out about donating a Bike Park season pass to a local teen, we knew we wanted to do more than just that. We wanted to make sure that this teen was kitted in the latest gear and ready to hit the Bike Park in the safest and most stylish way possible.
So we went on a shopping spree at our Gravity Sports Pro Shop. We left with a full-face helmet, chest protector, knee and elbow pads, jerseys, gloves, stickers, and Mt. Bachelor branded lifestyle apparel. We wrapped everything in old Bike Park trail maps, and the final piece of the puzzle?
Calling up local legend and Mt. Bachelor athlete Carson Storch to present everything to the teen at the wish reveal, where he’d also be getting a brand-new downhill bike from local bike shop, Project Bike!
The wish reveal went off seamlessly. Seeing the teen and his family take in the sea of volunteers, community partners, and Make A Wish employees that made their wish possible was really heartwarming. Plus, it was clear that this teen is an absolute shredder and will be laying down laps at the Bike Park this summer—maybe even with his new friend Carson!
About Make A Wish
Tens of thousands of volunteers, donors and supporters advance the Make-A-Wish® vision to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a critical illness. In the U.S. and its territories, a wish is granted every 33 minutes. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses.
For children diagnosed with critical illnesses, a wish come true can be a crucial turning point in their lives. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses. This impact is why we are driven to make every one of these wishes come true.
