For the past four decades, Disney and Make-A-Wish have partnered together to make wishes come true for thousands of children with critical illnesses around the world.
On Monday, in honor of its 45th year working with Make-A-Wish, Disney kicked off its first-ever Disney Week of Wishes, bringing together the full power of the Walt Disney Co. to grant as many wishes to kids as possible.
The week of wish-granting began on "Good Morning America" Monday with the story of Justice Brown, a 6-year-old girl from Washington state, who had her wish of becoming a Disney princess granted at Disneyland in California.
"I feel so happy," Justice said about having her wish granted.
During the Disney Week of Wishes, more kids will see their wishes come true, including a wish-granting moment on "American Idol," a princess-themed ball for nearly 50 families at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and one girl's dream meeting with a star from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"No one else has such a powerful connection with children and families, which is why we take this privilege and responsibility so seriously with Make-A-Wish," Disney CEO Bob Iger said Monday on "GMA."
Disney and Make-A-Wish reach 150,000 wishes granted at Once Upon A Wish PartyOver the course of its 45-year partnership with Make-A-Wish, Disney has helped grant wishes for more than 165,000 children through its theme parks, television and movie studios, and stores around the world.
The first-ever official wish granted by Make-A-Wish was in 1980, when Frank "Bopsy" Salazar, a 7-year-old diagnosed with leukemia, was granted his wish to visit Disneyland.
7-year-old's pastry dreams come true through Disney and Make-A-WishThe many wishes granted in partnership with Disney since then make Disney the world's largest wish-granter for Make-A-Wish, according to the nonprofit organization, whose founding was inspired by an Arizona community that rallied together to help a young boy also battling leukemia fulfill his wish to be a police officer.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.
