OSF HealthCare gives $30K to Nik’s Wish to replace its signature lamp
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The OSF HealthCare Foundation gifted Nik’s Wish $30,000 on Monday to help the nonprofit group replace its signature 16-foot-long replica genie lamp.
The lamp is a mainstay at special events and surprise wish reveals for young adult cancer patients, but officials said it’s showing signs of age after five years and needs to be replaced.
“Through our own cancer center, we’ve seen firsthand how important hope is for those people battling cancer, as well as their loved ones,” said Ryan Duvall, director of strategic philanthropy for the OSF HealthCare Foundation. “We are fully committed to supporting Nik’s Wish and the important work they do every day.”
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Nik’s Wish is a nonprofit that grants wishes to young adults ages 18-24 who are battling cancer and have aged out of the Make-A-Wish program.
The nonprofit is named in honor of Nikolas Ritschel, who died from cancer in 2012 at the age of 21. The night before his death, he asked his mother to help grant wishes for others like him who were too old for Make-A-Wish.
Kelli Ritschel Boehle founded the nonprofit shortly after and has run it with a team of mostly volunteers.
It has granted more than 330 wishes since its founding.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
