The wish-granting organization has granted more than 300 wishes for children with critical illnesses to attend the Super Bowl since 1982

NEW ORLEANS, LA (Jan. 23, 2025) – Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana is thrilled to welcome 19 wish kids and their families from across the country for the ultimate Super Bowl LIX experience in New Orleans. Make-A-Wish has partnered with Fanatics, the organization’s official sports partner, the National Football League (NFL), and other corporate partners to deliver an incredible itinerary as part of the nonprofit’s celebration of 45 years of wish granting. The experience will start on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and continue through the big game on Sunday, Feb. 9. The 19 wish kids and their families will travel from nine different states across the country to New Orleans. Activities include:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 5: Make-A-Wish will host a welcome party for wish families at Dave & Buster's, a national sponsor of Make-A-Wish. During the event, the wish kids will take part in an exciting trading card activity organized by Topp.
  • Thursday, Feb. 6: Wish families will spend their morning at Caesars Superdome for a behind-the-scenes tour. In the evening, the NFL will host the wish kids at NFL Honors, where they will feel like celebrities as they walk the red carpet.
  • Friday, Feb. 7: Fanatics, the nonprofit’s official sports partner, has some NFL player-sized surprises in store for the wish families when they visit the local Lids store. Each wish kid will be gifted $250 from Fanatics to shop at the store, which will have exclusive Super Bowl LIX merch available for the teams playing in the big game. The families will then have some free time at the Super Bowl Experience, where families can show off their football skills hosted by the NFL. 
  • Saturday, Feb. 8: Wish kids and their families will attend the first-ever Super Bowl Host Committee Parade in the French Quarter with a star-studded lineup of celebrity guests and athletes.
  • Sunday, Feb. 9: The wish experience will culminate in the wish kids taking their seats in Caesars Superdome to watch The Big Game.

Last year marked the first time Fanatics partnered with Make-A-Wish to elevate this life-changing experience. Since kicking off its partnership in 2023, Fanatics has enhanced more than 500 sports-related wishes, with plans to expand further.

The connection between the NFL and Make-A-Wish started shortly after the organization was founded in 1980. The first wish granted was for John Paul Serna, a 12-year-old Arizona boy who attended Super Bowl XVI in 1982. This was just the ninth wish in Make-A-Wish history, and over 300 wishes have been granted at the Super Bowl, along with hundreds more through the 32 teams and their players.

To learn more and find out how you can get involved, visit www.wish.org/texgulf.