SCOOTER GIRL: $3,620 worth of smiles

On June 15, The Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office presented a check for $3,620 to the local Make-A-Wish Foundation. The check was the result of Jim Halford’s and Mike Peterson’s idea for a motorcycle ride that would help a local child to smile.

Debra Sattof, the Ambassador for Luzerne County’s Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAW), was on hand to receive the check. Her third year at MAW, Sattof was thrilled to have the Sheriff’s Office create a fundraiser for the organization.

“I think it is wonderful,” she said. “Especially with the economy as it is. Any time a group gets together, it’s appropriate.”

Sattof explained that the most popular wish is for a visit to Disney World.

“At Disney, there is a special park just for wish children,” she said. “It’s called Give Kids the World. It is staffed by volunteers and medical personnel.”

Think about it: The kids in this program are children with life-threatening diseases. If you’ve ever taken a kid on any trip, you know how much gear you have to take with you. Imagine taking a sick kid with very special medical needs.

“The family doesn’t have to carry any special equipment with them,” Sattof said. “It’s very stress free for the parents (traveling). Only resorts like Give Kids the World have medical staff.”

MAW does, however, provide equipment at all travel sites. This allows the parents to enjoy the vacation as much as the kids.

I asked Sheriff John Gilligan what he wanted most when he OK’d the ride that ran on May 7.

“I just want to see a smile on a kid’s face,” he replied.

Impressed and grateful to all the local bikers and other law enforcement people who helped to make the ride a success, Gilligan said that there will definitely be a follow-up run next year to hopefully make more wishes come true.

Sattof said that money raised from the bike run would stay here.

“Right now, we don’t know who this is going to, but because of confidentiality we won’t say, but it will be a Luzerne County child,” she said. “It puts hope in the child that normally won’t have that. (It) lets the child let go and think about something else.

“When parents come back, they will comment that they saw their child smile more than before.”

There you go, Sherriff Gilligan, you know a smile is coming!

Sattof explained that anybody can refer a child by visiting wishgreaterpa.org; look for the “Refer A Child” button. Children need to be between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18, and the child’s physician must determine the child’s eligibility, which must be a life-threatening disease, but not necessarily a terminal one. It is the physician, not MAW that qualifies the child for the program.

Watch for next year’s Sheriff’s Office bike run and participate. It’s all about making a child or two smile and have hope for something better. This is something that we can all do. If you want to donate at any time, visit the website above, and look for the donate area — you don’t have to be a biker to help out.