Houston – Every year on April 29, people around the globe celebrate World Wish Day, honoring the day the first Make-A-Wish wish was granted in 1980. What started as a single act of kindness for a 7-year-old boy with leukemia has since grown into a global movement — one that has granted hundreds of thousands of life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Children like nine-year-old Aria Momin from Sugar Land. She didn’t wish for a trip or a toy as her only wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Instead, she wished to plant 1,000 trees across Houston. Momin was inspired by the tree damage in her neighborhood following Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana partnered with local nonprofit Trees For Houston to grant Aria’s wish.
Over the course of her wish week, Aria helped distribute hundreds of saplings — from magnolias to loblolly pines — at events in Sugar Land and Memorial Park. According to her mom, Rufina, the project gave a very shy Aria so much confidence.
Aria’s wish now means there are 1,000 trees taking root in Houston and Sugar Land. Make-A-Wish of the Gulf Coast and Louisiana Director of Communications, Michelle Mason, says they are always looking for volunteers to help grant wishes, answer calls, and donate time to wish-granting events.
To learn more or get involved, visit wish.org/texgulf.