ATLANTA, GA – Promotional and advertising-marketing firm, New Acquisitions, has made a name for themselves in the Buckhead community due to their philanthropic ventures. Recently, they came together to support one of their newest members, Justin Phillips, at the Make a Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes 2017 event in Athens, GA on Sunday, October 15th.
Phillips was diagnosed with leukemia at a very young age and was part of the Make a Wish program during his fight with cancer. Because of this, he has become an avid supporter of the charity and shares his story to spread the word of the organizations’ amazing work.
“I remember how bad it was,” said Phillips when asked to describe his experience with cancer. “I was so young that I didn’t understand why everything was happening to me. There were a lot of painful tests and procedures that I had to go through, and I know it was hard for my parents to see me in pain and not be able to do anything about it.”
Phillips went on to describe his time in the hospital and how it had affected him as a child. He started off by mentioning that one of the of the hardest parts of his stay was the revolving door of other patients that he shared his hospital ward with. Every time a new roommate would move in, they would eventually leave and, as a child, he never understood why. Luckily, he had the support of his family to help encourage him to stay positive throughout his treatment.
“It could have become a very lonely place for me, but I’m thankful that I had my family around me at all times. They never let me feel alone,” said Phillips.
In 1995, Phillips was referred to the Make a Wish Foundation and was chosen as a recipient of a wish. Per the foundation’s website, requests typically fall into five categories:
- I wish to go… Children get to visit their favorite theme park, visit an exotic land, or go to a sporting event of their choosing.
- I wish to be… Patients wish to be someone for a day that they admire, such as a fireman, police officer, princess or superhero.
- I wish to meet… Some Make a Wish recipients choose to meet their favorite athlete, recording artist, movie star, or public figure.
- I wish to have… Children can wish for a special gift they’ve always wanted such as a tree house, shopping spree or something else they’ve always wanted.
- I wish to give… Sometimes children use their wish to give back to others by supporting their favorite charities, donating to schools, or celebrating a special holiday with their family.
Out of the many choices that Phillips was presented with, he chose to use his wish to acquire a brand-new desktop computer. With access to the outside world at his hands, Philips was able to escape from his daunting circumstances and spent his time surfing the internet, learning as much as he could about any and everything he could find.
With his new-found love for learning and the support from his family and other loved ones, Phillips conquered his disease and was declared cancer-free in 2000. After leaving the hospital, Phillips went back to school and began his life in remission with a positive outlook on life and health. He went on to play basketball in high school and attended both San Diego Mesa College and Sierra College in California until he relocated to the Atlanta area.
After joining the New Acquisitions team in September, he learned of the company’s passion for charitable giving and jumped at the chance to inquire about their interest in supporting the Make a Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes 2017. Of course, the team responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The walk was held at the University of Georgia’s Recreational Fields and lasted from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with a total distance of two miles. According to the foundation’s website, the event was dedicated to 3 children in the Atlanta area. First, Gabriel, age 3, diagnosed with a congenital heart condition who wished to have a farm play set. Second, Sierra, age 7, diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma who wished to be a police officer. And third, Bowde, age 4, diagnosed with cancer who wishes to have a tree house.
The event was a huge success and participants were able to raise $34,878 of their $40,000 goal. All proceeds went towards making the three recipients wishes come true and all left-over profits will go to other wishes that haven’t been fulfilled yet.
Regional Director of Operations at New Acquisitions, Adam Gerald, was ecstatic when he heard of the event’s success. He went on to describe how proud he was of his team. He said he was inspired by how quickly they jumped behind Phillips when he introduced the idea of attending the event.
“I’m consistently impressed with the willingness of my team to participate in charitable events in the community,” Gerald said. “It’s awesome to be around such giving people, I think they’re what makes our corporate culture so great.”
Phillips also commented on the amount of support that he received from the firm when he told them his story.
“I’m so thankful that I work for a company that would take the time to hear my story and have my back when I needed them,” Phillips said. “It’s so motivating.”
To learn more about the Make a Wish Foundation and how to get involved, visit their website at www.georgia.wish.org
To learn more about New Acquisitions, how to join the team, and other charities they’ve worked with, visit their website at www.newacquisitionsgives.com & www.newacquisitionscareers.com
