Macy’s ninth annual Believe campaign launched in early November with the return of its cherished letter-writing program to benefit Make-A-Wish.
Now through Dec. 24, customers can visit their local Macy’s store to drop their letters to Santa into the big red letterboxes or send online at macys.com/believe. For each letter collected in-store and online, Macy’s will donate $1 — up to $1 million — to Make-A-Wish, the national organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. In addition to letter writing, this year’s campaign will bring back the beloved National Believe Day on Dec. 9.
The season also marks a major milestone, as Macy’s will celebrate $100 million in total giving to Make-A-Wish since 2003, with nearly $13 million donated through the Believe campaign. That represents nearly three wishes granted every day for the past 13 years, and more than 2.4 million people impacted in total by wishes that Macy’s has helped to grant, including wish kids and their families, volunteers, community groups, nurses, doctors and more.
“This is an incredibly important milestone for any organization, and we are proud to be celebrating it with Make-A-Wish as part of this year’s Believe campaign,” said Holly Thomas, group vice president of Cause Marketing for Macy’s. “Our program has touched the lives of our customers, employees, and most importantly, the lives of wish kids and their families across the country.
We hope to provide even more support to Make-A-Wish this holiday season through our letter writing campaign, so they can continue their mission and meet the growing need of wishes across the country,” Thomas added.
“We are honored and humbled by our friends at Macy’s and their customers who have raised an incredible $100 million to help grant life-changing wishes to children with serious illnesses,” said David Williams, CEO for Make-A-Wish America. “But our work is not done. Each year, nearly 27,000 children are diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. Make-A-Wish aims to grant the wish of every eligible child, so that they can experience the joy of a wish come true.”
Virginia’s Story
Nearly 120 years ago, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper, asking if there really was a Santa Claus. Editor Francis P. Church penned the heartwarming response that famously began, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist…” which became one of the most celebrated newspaper editorials in history.
Inspired by the true story of Virginia, the Believe campaign encourages acts of kindness and goodwill during the holidays, celebrating the season of giving through the time-honored tradition of letter writing.
