It started with a group of dedicated individuals, a 6-year-old boy named George, and a trip to Walt Disney World. Now, 6,300 wishes later, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana is turning 25.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Columbus-headquartered local chapter will grant more than 800 wishes this year.

“Our anniversary has allowed us to reconnect with wish families we have served over the past 25 years, reaffirm our commitment to our mission and develop a vision for the next 25 years,” says Nancy Whetstone, director of marketing and public relations for the foundation’s local chapter.

The local chapter was founded in 1983 in Northeast Ohio. During the late 1990s, the chapter expanded to include several other Ohio offices and Kentucky. In 2005, what had then become the Greater Ohio and Kentucky chapter merged with Indiana to form the biggest regional chapter of Make-A-Wish. The chapter serves a population of more than 22 million, including more than 1,700 eligible “wish children.”

Throughout its existence, the local chapter has stuck to the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission statement: “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.” Children who are older than 2 ½ years and younger than 18, and also have a life-threatening illness, qualify for the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s wish-granting process. Wish-granting is based on referral and evaluation to determine the severity of the child’s situation and what kind of wish they have.

In January 1984, George Dean, the chapter’s first wish child, was sent on a trip to Disney World. While many wish children wish for trips to Disneyland and Disney World, other types of wishes such as vacations and shopping sprees are granted as well.

As the largest Make-A-Wish chapter in the country, the Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana chapter is poised for growth in 2009. This year, referrals are up as much as 35 percent in some areas.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., the national Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980. Today, Make-A-Wish enjoys the continual support of more than 25,000 national volunteers. For more information on the local chapter, visit www.makeawishohio.org.

Anna Gerber is a contributing writer for CityScene.