Make-A-Wish^® Iowa and Stine^® Seed Company introduce Harvesting Wishes Program, Partnership focuses on granting lifesaving wishes and cultivating hope

(DES MOINES, Iowa) — June 20, 2023 — Make-A-Wish Iowa is pleased to welcome Stine Seed Company as the premier partner for the new Harvesting Wishes Program. Together, Make-A-Wish and Stine will cultivate hope and resiliency for critically ill children in our communities through the program. Farmers and the agriculture industry will now have an entirely new way to impact local families waiting for their life-changing wish.

“As another farming season is underway and we see signs of growth all around us, it’s the perfect time to announce this exciting new partnership with Stine Seed Company,” said Sara Kurovski, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa. “We are thrilled to welcome Stine as our premier sponsor and look forward to the many ways we’ll be able to work together to grant wishes. Stine has an incredible reputation among their employees, customers and the communities they serve; it’s a wonderful opportunity for all.”

About Harvesting Wishes

Harvesting Wishes is a unique program to engage farmers and agricultural workers across the country to participate in granting life-changing wishes to kids in their communities. Individuals can participate in the program by providing in-kind, monetary or supply requests, which can be done through the program’s website, HarvestingWishes.org. Alternatively, farmers can donate Gifts of Grain.

Through Gifts of Grain, farmers can work with their local elevator to make a donation of grain come harvest, which will in turn allow them to take advantage of tax deduction opportunities. All proceeds from grain donations go directly to funding the wishes of a critically ill child in the donor’s community or state.

The process is simple: Farmers deliver the grain to their local elevator and tell them they wish to donate ownership of the grain to Make-A-Wish’s Harvesting Wishes Program. Upon completion of the appropriate paperwork, the elevator will provide the farmer a receipt that can be used towards a tax deduction.

Partnership with Stine

With operations across the country and a growing global footprint, Stine has the potential to elevate the Harvesting Wishes Program to a new level.

“When we first met with Make-A-Wish Iowa about the Harvesting Wishes Program, it felt like a natural fit,” says Myron Stine, company president. “As a family-owned business, we understand that nothing brings a community together like uplifting those in need. And we couldn’t think of a more worthwhile cause than to support our children — they are the future of our communities. We look forward to working with Make-A-Wish and growers across the country to grant life-changing wishes to children in need. It’s such an amazing program, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

Stine will serve as the premier sponsor for the program and will work with Make-A-Wish Iowa to promote the Harvesting Wishes Program through its customer network and friends in the industry.

The power of a wish

In Iowa alone, there are nearly 400 critically ill children waiting for their wishes to be granted. But the need for granting lifesaving wishes and cultivating hope for these children is not just happening here in Iowa, it’s impacting communities across the country. Programs like Harvesting Wishes help bring awareness to this important cause and the impact a wish can have on a struggling child and their family. 

The families and children who have received a wish know the power of a wish is truly remarkable. Through Harvesting Wishes, Stine and Make-A-Wish Iowa will work together to see even more wishes come true and greatly improve the quality of life for critically ill children. In the recent “Impact of a Wish” study, research showed:

• A wish can give kids the strength to fight against and even overcome a critical illness.
• 99% of doctors say wishes help relieve a family from traumatic stress.
• 87% of wish alumni say their wish was a turning point in their treatment.

To learn more about or to participate in the Harvesting Wishes Program, visit HarvestingWishes.org.

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ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH IOWA

Make-A-Wish^® Iowa creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 34,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 33 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. For more information about Make-A-Wish Iowa, visit https://wish.org/iowa.