Red Rock Companies, Make-A-Wish Utah join forces and deliver hope to kids battling critical illness

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — As Southern Utah’s largest real estate brokerage, Red Rock Companies is a leader in the community. And now, they’re on a mission to make dreams come true for kids facing the toughest fight of their lives.

Zion Vaitohi, the first Wish Kid supported by Red Rock Companies, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Make-A-Wish Utah, St. George News

Red Rock Companies was founded on ethics, hard work and family support, values that align perfectly with their new role as a partner of Make-A-Wish Utah.

“We definitely have a soft spot for these kids,” CEO Adam Legg said. “When we learned there was a growing need in Southern Utah, we felt it was a perfect match with our culture at Red Rock to jump in and be able to support families who are going through challenging times.”

Make-A-Wish Utah has been granting wishes across the state since 1985. It started with a request from a young girl in Florida who, amid her fight with cancer, wanted to travel to Utah and taste snow for the first time. Since then, the organization has granted over 4,000 wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

As a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Make-A-Wish Utah exclusively raises funds and serves families within the state. The organization has expanded its efforts to reach more kids in Southern Utah where the population has been growing quickly over the past five years.

“There’s an increasing number of children needing a wish,” Chief Development Officer Daniel Dudley said. “Fortunately, we have partners like Red Rock who are willing to give their money, time and resources so we can grant more wishes.”

Wish Kid Zion Vaitohi at the Red Rock Companies and Make-A-Wish Utah partnership launch event, St. George, Utah, March 8, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Red Rock Real Estate, St. George News

Make-A-Wish hopes to grant anywhere from 25-35 wishes and raise at least $200,000 in Southern Utah this year. Red Rock Companies has committed to granting 10 of those wishes.

The first Wish Kid, a 4-year-old boy named Zion Vaitohi, was revealed at a launch party announcing the partnership between Red Rock Companies and Make-A-Wish Utah earlier this month. Zion has been battling leukemia since March 2022, and his wish was to visit Disney World. With the support of Red Rock Companies, it will soon come true.

Southern Utah is poised to keep growing at a rapid rate, and Make-A-Wish Utah is ready to grow with it.

“We’re so thankful to Adam and Red Rock for agreeing to become a partner,” Dudley said. “They not only want to grant wishes right now but also help us grow and be sustainable in the future to provide hope for kids and families when they’re diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.”

Wish Kid Zion Vaitohi at the Red Rock Companies and Make-A-Wish Utah partnership launch event, St. George, Utah, March 8, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Red Rock Real Estate, St. George News

Legg, who recently joined the Southern Utah advisory council for Make-A-Wish Utah, said he’s excited to expand this partnership even further by bringing more resources on board to support their efforts in the community.

Red Rock Companies has built a network of hundreds of agents, employees and property owners through Red Rock Real Estate, Red Rock Property Management and Red Rock Vacation Rentals.

“Our goal is to grant a total of 10 wishes between all of our companies, agents and partners,” he added. “We’re looking at this as a long-term partnership. It’s an ongoing service project that we’re getting everyone involved in for 2023 and beyond.”

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

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Resources

  • Red Rock Real Estate | Address: 90 E. 100 South, St. George | Telephone: 435-275-2775 | Website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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