The History Behind the Make a Wish Golf Tournament

5/2/2016 (Permalink)

Make a Wish

Owner of SERVPRO NE Onondaga and Oswego Counties John Halko, knew when he got into the business that he would always give back to the community, specifically children. Halko came from nothing and knew if given the opportunity, he wanted to give back to those in need. The idea of a golf tournament came about when other SERVPRO’s recommended it as a great way to bring people together in the business world. Chosen on a recommendation from Nationwide agent Vinny Hollopeter 14 years ago, The Pompey Club proved to be the perfect setting for the event. At first, each year money was raised for a different organization. One year it was the Canteen in the North Syracuse School District, the next Hospice to remember a friend and of course Make a Wish. One year, Halko hit a road block with an organization he was trying to work with so after feeling a bit discouraged, he decided that from then on they would donate to Make a Wish every year because “they appreciate what little we can give them.”

Make a Wish is a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with terminal diseases. Halko recalls when wishes were $5,000 and now one wish is approximately $10,000. The goal every year is to grant at least one wish. He plans to achieve his goal with participants in the tournament who donate $100.00 to play golf and receive a free lunch and steak dinner, sponsorships, 50/50 raffles, mulligans, skins and of course, donations. When asked what he considers his most successful year with the tournament he replied; “Every year we can give Make a Wish something. It doesn’t matter how much.”