More children are cashing in their Make-A-Wish requests to meet their favorite content creators, with creator wishes more than doubling in the past decade.
Make-A-Wish Foundation has been granting life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness since 1980. Now, alongside A-Listers and sports stars, YouTubers and TikTokers are also flooding requests, Axios reported.
Requests to meet content creators make up 32% of the wishes granted within the entertainment industry, per Axios, the second largest source of requests behind the music industry.
Several of the creators say they’ve been granting wishes for years and more than 50 creators and influencers became first-time wish-granters in the last year to keep up with demand.
As parents and children realize meeting their favorite streamer, TikToker, or YouTuber is an option, it’s becoming more and more common. In October, Make-A-Wish, Disney, and MrBeast hosted YouTube and some of the world’s top creators, at Disneyland Resort to grant wishes for 40 children.
This shift is unsurprising given the growing influence of content creators. It used to be that if you asked a classroom of kids what they want to be when they grow up, you’d get answers like “pop star” and “football player.” A 2024 survey of 910 U.S. Gen Alpha kids (ages 12 to 15) by social commerce platform Whop found that nearly a third want to be YouTubers, while one in five aspire to become TikTok creators. Given the chance, they also want to meet their heroes.
“Digital creators have built strong, loyal communities based on authenticity and common interests,” Jared Perry, chief revenue officer at Make-A-Wish America previously shared in a statement. “When this connection is used to rally behind a cause like Make-A-Wish, it can generate significant donations and lead to long-term relationships with an entirely new audience.”
Content creators also leverage their own platforms to engage followers in charitable causes. MrBeast, for example, is well-known for his philanthropy through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Beast Philanthropy. Through his Beast Philanthropy channel, he has, in just the past year, given away $1 million of toys, donated $1 million worth of brand‑new teeth, and funded a gym for adaptive athletes. The organization donates 100% of the revenue from its content and merchandise.
Make-A-Wish relies on fundraisers, donors, and partners to make sick children’s wishes come true. “By becoming ambassadors of Make-A-Wish, and featuring our mission regularly in their content, creators can inspire sustained support and make a meaningful difference,” Perry continued.
