Maya Angelou

Wish of a Lifetime (WOL) seeks to build long-lasting relationships between older adults and high school students from the Denver community by engaging both students and older adults in WOL’s annual Spring Veterans trip to Washington D.C.

Since its inception in 2012, the Veterans Trip to Washington D.C. has been a uniquely special and emotional experience for all participants. For older adult veterans, especially those who served during the Vietnam era, isolation is an all too consistent reality of daily life. Many of these individuals were ostracized for their service and never had a chance to share their stories or gain a sense of appreciation for their service. Mark Buirge, a former wish recipient and Vietnam veteran, told us that this trip, “melted away all of my pain from when I came back (from Vietnam) years ago”.

A trip to Washington D.C. would present an opportunity for closure for these incredibly brave men and women, and the prospect of traveling with younger generations would ensure their sacrifices and stories are not forgotten.

WOL is thrilled to announce its first ever intergenerational trip opportunity- engaging students in a semester-long intergenerational process that culminates in a four day trip to Washington D.C. called Passage of Heroes.

Funds contributed directly to wish fulfillment are temporarily restricted to the defined activity in which the donor has selected. Once the necessary contributions are reached in order to fulfill the specified wish, Wish of a Lifetime holds the right to distribute funds to additional program efforts.