Granting wishes for Montana children living with critical illnesses

CHARITY OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF MONTANA TROOPERS
P.O. Box 5927 | Helena, MT 59604 | (406) 949-HOPE
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About Us

Michael-Bozeman-picture-1The Montana Highway Patrol started the Montana Hope Project in 1984 as a way to give back to the communities they serve in a special and unique way.

The Montana Hope Project
was born.

Today, the Montana Hope Project is a separate non-profit organization funded by tax-deductible charitable contributions. The Hope Project does not receive tax support and is not associated with any national wish-granting organization.  Sponsored by the Association of Montana Troopers, the Montana Hope Project originated from the strong desire of Troopers to offer a special and unique service to the communities they served.

Granting wishes to Montana children has proven to be a rewarding endeavor and has had a positive impact on those involved with the Hope Project. Granting wishes, hosting reunions and our fund-raising events offer comfort and encouragement to families facing difficult circumstances and bring communities together in support of their neighbors. Those involved know first-hand the special meaning of the smile on a child’s face when they receive their wish.

The mission of the Montana Hope Project is to fulfill the dreams and wishes of the children of Montana who suffer from a terminal, critical, or chronic illness that are between the ages of 2 and 18 years. The conditions the children face typically require medical intervention and physically, emotionally, and financially drain the children and their families.  Eighty-three percent of all proceeds from funds raised, corporate and private donations, and memorials go directly to wishes for Montana children. The average wish granted costs approximately $8,800, and the most requested wish is a trip to Walt Disney World.

Wishes over the years have included trips to Hawaii, professional sports events, computers, shopping sprees, camping trips, hot tubs, vehicle restorations, Caribbean cruises, a horse buggy, adaptive equipment, entertainment centers, video games, and dream bedrooms. Whenever possible, the entire family is involved in the wish.  As a way to further encourage families, the Hope Project also invites each wish recipient and their family to two reunions each year. Our summer and winter reunions are held at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort the first weekend in June and the first weekend in December.

The Montana Hope Project is a success due to the combined efforts of many. Our volunteer staff is comprised of active and retired highway patrol troopers and their spouses, along with other dedicated individuals. We also enjoy the support of various organizations from across the state of Montana that give generously of their money, time, and talents.

We are sincere in our belief that the lives of children are precious and should never be cut short without their wishes coming true. We welcome you to join us in this endeavor.

 

Testimonials

We had the amazing opportunity to visit Walt Disney World In January 2016. What an incredible experience and a much needed break from life. After 3 years of fighting ALL (Leukemia), it was so nice to get away and not have to worry about any doctor’s appointments. A great week spent reconnecting with each other…

We had the amazing opportunity to visit Walt Disney World In January 2016. What an incredible experience and a much needed break from life. After 3 years of fighting ALL (Leukemia), it was so nice to get away and not have to worry about any doctor’s appointments. A great week spent reconnecting with each other and enjoying everything that Give Kids the World had to offer. Aiden loved everything about the trip, but a definite highlight was riding the Spiderman ride at Universal Studios. He loved it so much, he rode it 6 times! I don’t think he missed one ride at Universal Studios or Disney World; he was on a mission to ride them all! Of course he also loved the endless supply of ice cream at Give Kids the World! We truly cannot thank the Montana Hope Project enough for this incredible experience, helping us to fulfill a lifetime dream by sending us all to Disney World. It was not only a wonderful wish come true for Aiden, but for each one of us. It was a week full of laughs, smiles, and endless Disney magic! Thank you again, so much, from the bottom of our hearts for this amazing organization.  

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I would like to start by thanking the Montana Hope Project, its coordinators, supporters, and all those involved. Through their efforts, I have been able to create, and continue to create, lasting memories from unforgettable experiences. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “ The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost,…

I would like to start by thanking the Montana Hope Project, its coordinators, supporters, and all those involved. Through their efforts, I have been able to create, and continue to create, lasting memories from unforgettable experiences. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “ The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Montana Hope Project has given me the opportunity to do just that. By granting my wish for a self-contained, adventure-ready camper, I have been able to reach and chase new experiences without medical limitations holding me back. The Project’s attention to detail in making my wish come true amazed my family and me. Bozeman Area Coordinator, Joe Rehbein, went above and beyond in assisting me to make sure my camper was everything and more than I wished for. Throughout the summer, I was able to take my sister and her fiancé from out of state camping and show them the very best of Montana. I was able to travel out of state to Cheyenne, Wyoming for the Fourth of July. I was able to adventure away from civilization with friends. All of which I was able to do because of the Montana Hope Project. Not only was the camper used to make fun memories, it made trips to doctors a great deal easier by not having to get a hotel for those appointments away from home. Making sometimes stressful situations that much easier on me and my family, and the experiences aren't over. I am planning to take the camper hunting this fall and around the state skiing this winter. I cannot begin to express how much easier it is to enjoy what I love when I have a fully-equipped place to maintain my medical health away from home. Furthermore, having a place that is mine has given me the opportunity to learn how to care for my medical needs independently as a young adult. It's no exaggeration when I say that I slept in my camper more nights this summer than my own bedroom. That experience taught me more about keeping myself healthy than any other. To those who support and sponsor this amazing organization, thank you. To those who keep this amazing organization going, thank you. To those who are thinking of reaching out to this amazing organization to make a wish, absolutely, without hesitation, do it, and to the Montana Hope Project as a whole, I thank you endlessly.  

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Montana Hope Project, Thank you so much for granting Shay’s wish to see a Celtics game in Boston! We had so much fun. On our trip, we took in the sights of New York City for a day, then drove to Boston from there to Shay’s doctor appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital. After his appointments,…

Montana Hope Project, Thank you so much for granting Shay’s wish to see a Celtics game in Boston! We had so much fun. On our trip, we took in the sights of New York City for a day, then drove to Boston from there to Shay’s doctor appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital. After his appointments, we went to TD Garden, watched the Celtics warm up, took pictures on the basketball court, and Shay was presented with a bunch of gifts (a jersey with his last name on it, t-shirt, Celtic shoes, socks, and a hat)! We then went into a private restaurant in TD Garden, ate a delicious supper, and had a surprise visitor, Leon Powe. Leon played for the Celtics from 2006-2009, and played in the championship for the Celtics in 2008, which they won! It was such an honor meeting and visiting with him. After supper, we watched the Celtic game against the New Orleans Pelicans; the Celtics won the super exciting game! Thank you for our trip, Montana Hope Project! We would have never been able to do this without you as we are in over our heads with medical debt and all the medical travel expenses. Shay was diagnosed with a Prolactinoma in January of 2015; it was during basketball season when he started not feeling well. Shay has been a varsity basketball and varsity football player throughout his high school years. Even after we found out about his tumor, the doctors allowed him to continue sports as long as he felt up to it. Shay is so strong and no matter how sick he was, he always pushed through and played. He is my hero! A lot of people have pituitary tumors (Prolactinoma), but Shay’s is complex as there is no opening; the tumor is completely surrounding/engulfing his pituitary. This makes surgery very risky as it could result in Shay going blind, pancreatitis, and diabetes insipidus. These results would be permanent the rest of his life. Since being diagnosed up until now, the doctors are trying to shrink his tumor with medication making surgery the very last resort. The pituitary tumor has caused Shay to be short (his growth plates are closed, so he cannot take growth hormones); he is 18 years of age and 5’3,” but that did not slow him down with sports; he is an incredible athlete in both football and basketball! The tumor has also wreaked havoc with his thyroid and testosterone levels. Shay will be under medical advisement for probably the rest of his life, although, he continues to stay positive and upbeat. Thank you so much for blessing our family! We cannot even begin to express our gratitude!  

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