Benefitting Make-A-Wish®, The Wish Writer Stylus And App Will Be Available At Macy’s And On macys.com
“The Wish Writer” Short Film Debuts In November
Macy’s eighth annual Believe Campaign launches this past week with a new film that provides a modern take on the beloved “Believe” story and a new element that will delight children and adults alike – Macy’s Wish Writer stylus and app. The Wish Writer teaches children the importance of giving back to others during the holiday season, while “The Wish Writer” Short Film shares the same heartwarming story of the gift of generosity.
From now through Dec. 24, customers can visit their local Macy’s store to drop their stamped letters addressed to Santa into the big red letterboxes, create and send a letter with the Wish Writer app, or send a letter to Santa through www.macys.com/believe. For each letter collected in-store, through mobile and online, Macy’s will donate $1, up to $1 million, to Make-A-Wish, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“We’re proud to partner with Make-A-Wish for the eighth annual Believe campaign, which continues to be one of our most beloved programs of the year,” said Martine Reardon, chief marketing officer for Macy’s. “After many months of development, we’re excited to launch Macy’s Wish Writer as a fun, new element of this year’s campaign, which will benefit Make-A-Wish and teach children how acts of kindness can spread holiday spirit this season.”
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. 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. With the help of generous donors and more than 27,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 37 minutes. It has granted more than 254,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,200 in 2014 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.
“Macy’s continues to make helping wish kids with life-threatening medical conditions as simple and fun as writing a letter to Santa – this year adding a new and innovative way through the Wish Writer,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “We encourage everyone to join Macy’s and Make-A-Wish this holiday season to ‘believe in the magic of giving’ by submitting their letters to help us grant even more life-changing wishes, because we know that a wish-come-true can be a powerful part of a child’s fight against their illness.”
The Believe campaign was inspired by the true story of 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897 asking if there really was a Santa Claus. The paper’s response, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist …,” written by Francis P. Church, became one of the most famous newspaper editorials of all time. Macy’s has raised $90 million for Make-A-Wish since 2003, with $10.8 million donated over the last seven years through the iconic letter writing campaign during the holiday season.
The Following Are Key Elements Of The 2015 Macy’s Believe Campaign:
Macy’s Wish Writer is an interactive stylus and app, featuring a series of fun games to teach children about the importance of kindness and generosity, while also providing a way to write the most magical letters to Santa. Dr. Steven Fox, a leading child psychologist and expert in play therapy and gaming, served as a consultant during the Wish Writer development to help create a motivating, relevant and positive game for children. The Wish Writer experience is designed to encourage a sense of adventure and exploration, while enhancing children’s altruism and compassion toward others.
Compatible with both Apple and Android devices, the Wish Writer stylus will be available for purchase at approximately 600 Macy’s stores and on macys.com. To play, the stylus interacts with the corresponding app (free with the stylus purchase) and children can play the various games to spread holiday spirit and earn rewards for good deeds. The Wish Writer stylus also lights up when pressed on a surface.
In addition, children can write letters to Santa through the stylus and app, and for each letter sent, $1 will be donated to Make-A-Wish, as part of the $1 million goal. One dollar from the purchase price of each Wish Writer stylus (retail price of $14.99) will also go to Make-A-Wish.
To download the app separately on iTunes or Google Play, a free, limited-play version is available, as well as a full version for $1.99. One dollar from each app purchase will be donated to Make-A-Wish. Continue reading