Allegiant, MidAmerica, Impact Strategies aid in child’s Make-A-Wish sendoff
From left, Jeff Woolsey, Jaxon Murphy, Jacqueline Woolsey, Alayna Woolsey and Lisa Schuetz, administrative assistant for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, pictured in front of the gifts provided by Impact Strategies, the company that sponsored the red carpet sendoff for Alayna.
From Illinois Business Journal news services
For 5-year-old Alayna Woolsey from Benton, Ill., who was diagnosed with Lymphoid Leukemia but is currently in remission, July 12 proved to be a pretty special day as it marked the start of a much-anticipated journey for her and her family.
Recipient of the latest wish trip to be granted by Allegiant and Make-A-Wish, Alayna and her parents and brother were the VIP guests at a special sendoff celebration hosted by MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and Impact Strategies, as they prepared to depart on an Allegiant flight to Orlando for a magical wish experience.
Upon hearing about Alayna’s story, Impact Strategies, a Southwestern Illinois-based business, with offices in Fairview Heights and St. Louis, stepped up to ensure that her sendoff was as magical as her wish trip. Together with MidAmerica, they were able to provide the family with the full “red carpet” treatment at the airport. Alayna and her family were greeted upon arrival by a long red carpet lined with balloons and a personal assistant was on hand to escort them through check-in to their gate, in order to ensure that all of their needs were met.
The family received gift bags, including T-shirts, toys, autograph books, photo albums, gift cards and more. To truly make Alayna feel special, she also received a portable DVD player and one of her favorite movies to watch during the flights.
Representatives from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and Impact Strategies were at the airport to share this special moment with Alayna and her family.
“We wanted to show our support for Alayna and her family and make them feel special,” said Tim Cantwell, director at MidAmerica Airport. “We were delighted to host them and I applaud Impact Strategies for stepping up and supporting all of the red carpet touches that helped kick this special journey off in a memorable way.”
“Impact Strategies is delighted to play a role in helping to get Alayna’s wish trip off to an exciting start,” said Mark Hinrichs, president of Impact Strategies. “We hope our contributions add to what we know will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her and her family.”
Since the 1980s, Make-A-Wish has been enriching the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions by granting special wishes.
“Allegiant Air’s generous and enthusiastic support is a wonderful way for the community to come together in supporting our wish children with hope, strength and joy at a time they need it most”, said Stephanie Springs, chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish Illinois.
