Make-A-Wish announces 2026 Starblazer award honorees; celebrates Allied World’s $1 million founding award gift

(BPT) - Allied World is the first corporate award founder of the Make-A-Wish Starblazer Awards.

Today, Make-A-Wish announced its 2026 Starblazer Award honorees, recognizing nine wish alumni who exemplify the lasting power of a wish. Now in its second year, the national program honors wish alumni, previous wish recipients, who, inspired by the hope and strength from their wish experiences, are creating positive change through service, advocacy and philanthropy in their communities and beyond.

The Starblazer Awards are powered by generous award-founding donors whose financial support celebrates the achievements of wish alumni while helping make future wishes possible. This year, Allied World joined the distinguished group with a $1 million gift, becoming the first corporate award founder for the national program.

"As the first corporate sponsor of the Starblazer Awards, we are proud to support a program that shines a spotlight on these remarkable individuals and the long-term influence of Make-A-Wish," said Wes Dupont, Chief Operating Officer of Allied World. "Our $1 million commitment reflects our belief in the organization's vision to reach every eligible child and Allied World's desire to help more children experience the hope, strength and possibility that a wish can bring."

A proud partner of Make-A-Wish for more than 10 years, Allied World has sponsored over 50 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley chapter and provides ongoing funding to help create unforgettable wish experiences for children with critical illnesses. Now, as a Starblazer Award Founder, Allied World is building on that commitment by honoring the long-lasting impact of a wish while helping more children receive a wish when they need it most.

"We have seen the profound impact a wish can have on a child and their family," Dupont said. "Families frequently share how the experience provided hope and optimism during a challenging time, and how its positive impact stayed with them long after the wish was fulfilled. Through programs such as the Starblazer Awards, we also see how those experiences can continue to shape lives for years to come, inspiring wish alumni to make meaningful contributions within their communities."

In addition to Allied World, the Starblazer Awards are made possible by award-founding donors Jeff and Anna Saplis, Jeff and Jenny Wright and Family, Jim and Colleen Clark, Michael Halle, Paul and Angie Martino, The John Dawson Foundation, The Montgomery Family and The Robinson Foundation.

Together, their support makes it possible to celebrate nine distinct wish alumni this year:

• Brian Chin, recipient of The Allied World Starblazer Award
  Brian credits his wish as the "first domino" in experiences that shaped his life 23 years ago, and he has since helped grant 16 wishes as a Make-A-Wish volunteer.
  
  
• Miles Boyd, recipient of The Jeff and Anna Saplis Quiet Angel Foundation Starblazer Award
  Two years after his wish brought him peace and joy as he faced a brain tumor diagnosis, Miles now shares his story and serves his community to help create that same sense of hope and joy for others.
  
  
• Meredith Kass, recipient of The Paul and Angie Martino Starblazer Award
  Seven years after her wish gave her renewed hope for the future, Meredith now teaches at the same school where her wish was inspired and helps students raise funds to support their education.
  
  
• Jason Lansdown, recipient of The Robinson Foundation Starblazer Award
  Seventeen years since his wish to give back to the Limb Preservation Foundation after losing his right knee, Jason has built a career serving the limb salvage community, making the cause at the center of his wish the center of his professional life.
  
  
• Brady Lucas, recipient of The Olivia Colleen Starblazer Award
  Eighteen years since his wish uplifted his spirits during his leukemia journey, Brady has helped raise millions for childhood cancer causes and built a career in academic medical fundraising.
  
  
• Michael Monteleone, recipient of The Michael Halle Starblazer Award
  Michael's wish provided him with something joyful to look forward to during his journey with leukemia more than 35 years ago, and now, he has spent the past 12 years helping create that same life-changing experience for other children as a volunteer wish granter.
  
  
• Carlos Cesar Becerril Romero, recipient of The John Dawson Foundation Starblazer Award
  Carlos' wish came true 25 years ago, and today, he is a pediatric nephrologist caring for children facing kidney disease at the same hospital where he received his kidney transplant.
  
  
• Aiden Salazar, recipient of The Wright Family Starblazer Award
  A decade after his wish to have a drawing tablet, Aiden continues to use the tablet to create superhero-inspired cards that bring joy to other wish kids.
  
  
• Mariana Valencia, recipient of The Monty Starblazer Award
  Mariana's wish helped her family reconnect during her cancer journey four years ago, and today, she leads a nonprofit she founded to help children in Guatemala access resources and support throughout their medical treatment.

To read the honorees' full stories and learn more about the Starblazer Awards, visit wish.org/starblazer.

This story was produced by Make-A-Wish and reviewed and distributed by Brandpoint.