Wish Makers is a program of the World Wave Music Festival that spreads joy and hope by creating music for senior homes, children’s hospitals, and nonprofits.
The story of Wish Makers began with founder Aya Okimoto’s participation in the 5th grade “Make-A-Wish” Foundation Virtual Talent Show. Aya, who played the piano, won first prize and donated her winnings to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help make dreams come true for critically ill children.
In 6th grade, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aya sought to reconnect with her classmates despite remote learning. She invited them to join in the Virtual Talent Show once more. Their collaborative effort—featuring everyone’s music videos merged onto one screen—secured another first prize, with their prize money again going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Inspired by these experiences, Aya founded the Wish Makers program as a way to bond with her peers while contributing to the community. The organization began creating holiday entertainment videos for senior homes and children’s hospitals, bringing joy to those isolated during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Since its inception, Wish Makers has continued to help nonprofit organizations worldwide, spreading joy and love through annual holiday videos. From supporting senior centers to entertaining children in hospitals, the organization’s efforts have touched many lives.
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First, the dedication of Wish Makers has earned the group recognition from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for their contributions to helping critically ill children. Second, Wish Makers supports neonate babies in Hawai’i through its partnership with Mālama o Nā Keiki, where our founder, Aya Okimoto, is also the Jr. Board Chair. Third, Wish Makers has partnered with the Hawai'i Chamber Music Festival and has supported young artists through tuition-free programs, ensuring their mission extends to empowering and inspiring future generations.
Since its inception, Wish Makers has continued to help nonprofit organizations worldwide, spreading joy and love through annual holiday videos. From supporting senior centers to entertaining children in hospitals, the organization’s efforts have touched many lives.
Today, Wish Makers continues to uplift communities, always working toward their goal of spreading joy, supporting those in need, and nurturing a hopeful, generous world.
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"I have always enjoyed playing music, and I’ve always hoped to share my love for music with others. Being part of the Wish Makers allowed me to make a positive impact through my passion for music. I admire how the organization aims to spread love not only within Hawaii, but globally as well. It is also really inspiring to see many other talented youth participating in the Wish Makers!"
"I wanted to join Wish Makers because I love the idea of spreading happiness. The idea that we are sharing our individual talents and ideas really makes me enjoy being a part of this organization."
"One of my favorite memories from last year’s Wish Makers group was the video making. I sent out a video of me dancing hula and I really enjoyed the process of making the dance and also dancing in a beautiful scenery. My mom also works at one of the nursing homes that the videos were shown to and she told me that the videos brought a lot of smiles to the residents faces which brought me so much joy."
"Ultimately, I wanted to join Wish Makers to add to my community. Being able to make someone’s day brighter just by doing what I love has been so amazing! Wish Makers is such a wonderful organization, and makes my special talents feel important. Overall, my best memory would have to be the community coming together to meet and share what they love to do. Thank you Wish Makers!"
