Cherry Hill, N.J. - February 18, 2014 -  On February 7, Subaru of America, Inc. and Make-A-Wish® Utah is making a boy’s wish come true by joining forces at the Subaru WinterFest event at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, UT. The wish of adventurous and sports-loving 11-year-old Derek, is to go fishing in Alaska. As a proud supporter of Make-A-Wish, Subaru is honored to sponsor this wish for such an inspirational and resilient child. 

Derek, who was diagnosed with liver failure, learned that his wish to go to Alaska with his family will come true this spring during a surprise wish reveal ceremony at Subaru WinterFest - a lifestyle expo that stops at some of the best mountains across the country and features free ski and snowboard lessons/demos, and interactive experiences for families and winter enthusiasts. This 2014 - 2015 ski season, Subaru will hold fourteen Subaru WinterFest events at resorts across the country. 

For Derek, the mountain-man-in-training, it was a special and memorable moment as he discovered through clues popping up around the Snowbird Village that he and his family would soon be venturing to Alaska to see mystic-blue glaciers and catch salmon.

“We are extremely honored to work with Make-A-Wish Utah to help reveal and ultimately grant Derek’s one true wish,” said Tim Tagye, promotions and sponsorship manager, Subaru of America, Inc. “It was really special to be a part of revealing his wish in such an exciting way at the Subaru WinterFest event. We look forward to continuing to support the outstanding Make-A-Wish organization which brings hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions, in the years to come.”

Prior to the on-stage announcement, Derek and his family were treated to a fun-filled ski weekend at Snowbird, with opportunities to partake in a private ski lesson and enjoy the resort, courtesy of Subaru. Media and guests at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort were also invited to join in on the reveal celebration.

“We are excited to grant Derek and his family the opportunity to experience the beautiful wilderness of Alaska,” said Jared Perry, CEO of Make-A-Wish® Utah. “Make-A-Wish has been making wishes come true for 35 years and has granted more than 254,000 wishes to deserving kids across the country. Here in Utah, we are able to grant three wishes a week to local kids because of help from generous individuals and sponsors like Subaru.” 

Over the past four years, Subaru of America, Inc. has been a proud sponsor of Make-A-Wish and has donated more than $4.5 million to help make more than 610 wishes come true. 

Both the Subaru WinterFest event and Derek’s wish reveal will be featured on the Emmy Award-winning television series “World of Adventure”, airing February 21 at 5 pm ET on NBC. An extended version of the wish reveal, in addition to more of Derek’s story, will be released digitally after the show airing onwww.thewoa.com and Subaru’s YouTube channel. 

Check out the excitement behind Derek’s wish reveal by visiting @subaru_USA, @makeawishutah, or by searching hashtag #subarusnow.

About Make-A-Wish® Utah
Make-A-Wish Utah grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Located in its facility in Murray, A Wishing Place, Make-A-Wish Utah offers a quality wish experience. For more information about Make-A-Wish Utah, please visitwww.utah.wish.org. 

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 can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based 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 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.

For full press release, click here.