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Soccer Star Landon Donovan Scores a Goal with the First “My Wish” Segment Sunday

Posted by jarvisk • July 13, 2011 • Printer-friendly

July 13, 2011 

The 2011 edition of the critically acclaimed SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series, conducted in collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation ®, will return Sunday, July 17 during the 10 a.m. ET edition aired on ESPN2 because of the Open Championship on ESPN.  The series will continue Monday – Wednesday on ESPN with a new wish each day presented during the 6 p.m. SportsCenter. Wishes include three-time Major League Soccer Cup champion Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy (Sunday, July 17), the Minnesota Twins (Monday, July 18), Heisman Trophy quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos (Tuesday, July 19), and professional surfer Bethany Hamilton (Wednesday, July 20). Emmy Award-winning reporter Chris Connelly will host the series for the sixth straight year, as ESPN chronicles sports-themed wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to children with life-threatening medical conditions. 
Photos   |  Preview

Wish details: 

Brendan Galanaugh -- Going One-on-One against Landon Donovan
Age: 7; Hometown: Lakewood, Colo.; Condition: acute myelocytic leukemia

  • Wish:  To meet Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. Men’s National Team
  • Brendan was presented with his own locker between Landon Donovan and David Beckham, which included a personalized No. 10 Galaxy uniform inside.
  • Donovan led Brendan to the practice field, where the newest Galaxy player stretched and passed the ball around with teammates.
  • After practice, Brendan and Donovan took turns trying to score goals on each other.
  • Brendan returned for a Galaxy game two days later, where he walked out with Donovan for the pregame ceremonies, coin toss and a pre-match photo with the team’s starting lineup.

 

Michael Acosta -- Managing the Minnesota Twins with Ron Gardenhire
Age: 18; Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas; Condition: testicular cancer  

  • Wish:  Manage the Minnesota Twins for a day
  • Twins’ manager Gardenhire met Michael in his office, and they discussed strategy for making out the lineup for that evening’s game against the Texas Rangers.
  • Michael and Gardenhire shagged baseballs in the outfield during batting practice and he meet several players.
  • The pair answered questions from the media in the Twins’ dugout before the game.
  • Michael tossed the ceremonial first pitch and then delivered the Twins’ lineup card to the umpiring crew at home plate with first base coach Jerry White.

 

Adam Hubbs -- A Heartfelt Day with Tim Tebow
Age: 16; Hometown: Millstadt, Ill.; Condition: life-threatening immunodeficiency disorder  

  • Wish:  To meet Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow
  • Tebow surprises Adam and his family by riding up on a surrey bike and picking up Adam for a spin around Disney’s BoardWalk at Walt Disney World ® Resort.
  • The pair competed in several boardwalk and arcade games before Tebow presented Adam with an autographed Broncos jersey, game-worn cleats and a football from his first NFL win.
  • After lunch, Tebow threw passes to Adam’s cousin and father before Adam decided to toss some passes to the Heisman Trophy winner.

Kendall Curnuck -- Riding the Waves with Bethany Hamilton
Age: 8; Hometown: Rockville Center, N.Y.; Condition: acute lymphatic leukemia

  • Wish: To go surfing with Bethany Hamilton
  • Kendall met Bethany on Waikiki Beach in Oahu, Hawaii where they spent time getting to know each other.
  • They rode together on a fire truck in Honolulu’s 4th of July parade.  Kendall was also a special guest at the Soul Surfer movie screening.
  • Two days later, on the island of Kauai, Kendall went surfing with Bethany where she stood up and rode to shore on her very first wave.


About Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. One of the world’s leading children’s charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes in the United States with the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers. Visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish® with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Team ESPN

Team ESPN, the corporate outreach program of ESPN, Team ESPN encompasses ESPN's multi-faceted community relations initiatives, including volunteerism, corporate giving and cause marketing, while utilizing its diverse media assets.  Through Team ESPN, ESPN employees and fans join together to make a difference in the communities in which we operate.  Team ESPN’s slogan is “Fans Helping Fans.”®  www.teamespn.com.

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Media Contacts: Kimberly Jarvis at (860) 766-2298 or Mac Nwulu at (860) 766-4196
Make-A-Wish Foundation: Brent Goodrich at (602) 792-3185

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