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Don't forward these e-mails - they're not legit

NEWS RELEASE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF CANADA ************************* Chain letters asking to help young children with cancer are not legitimate requests TORONTO, April 17 - A series of unauthorized chain letters and e-mails, encouraging people to
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NEWS RELEASE

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF CANADA

************************* Chain letters asking to help young children with cancer are not legitimate requests TORONTO, April 17 - A series of unauthorized chain letters and e-mails, encouraging people to respond and by doing so to help seriously ill children, continue to circulate in Canada.

These e-mails are not legitimate and are not affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R).

One e-mail is about a seven-year-old (local) girl named Amy Bruce who has cancer.

People are asked to forward the e-mail to as many people as possible, and Make-A-Wish Foundation will donate seven cents to help pay her medical expenses.

Another letter asks people to send business cards or greeting cards to a boy named Craig Shergold, Craig Sherwood, Craig Sheppard, Craig Sherford or other similar-sounding names.

Many of these letters and e-mails falsely state that the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Canada is supporting the request.

"Well-meaning people pass along these letters and e-mails because they believe they are helping a child with a life-threatening illness," said Mary Jardine, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada.

"Unfortunately, the request is not genuine. Make-A-Wish(R) does not participate in chain letters, e-mail solicitation of any kind, telemarketing or door-to-door fundraising programs. The time and expense required to respond to the hundreds of enquiries generated by these e-mails distracts us from granting wishes to actual children in need." If you receive a chain letter or e-mail:

- Please reply to the sender and inform him or her that Make-A-Wish(R) Canada does not participate in chain letters or other similar wishes via the Internet, telephone or door-to-door.

- Refer the sender and all recipients to the Make-A-Wish Canada website.

- Do not forward the e-mail; instead, delete it immediately. Currently, Shane Bernier, a young boy with cancer, is attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by receiving the most birthday cards.

This is a valid request, but it is not affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada.

Shane's request is an independent request and is not affiliated with a wish-granting organization. In 1989, Craig Shergold, a nine-year-old English boy diagnosed with a brain tumor, also wanted to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for receiving the most birthday cards.

His wish originated with another wish-granting organization and was fulfilled in 1990 after receiving more than 16 million cards.

Shergold is now a healthy adult and has requested an end to the mailings.

Mail sent to the address indicated in the e-mails is turned over to a recycler for disposal.

For more information about these and other chain letter and e-mail hoaxes, please visit the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Canada website.

Information is posted on the home page.

Here are some ways people can legitimately help the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada and children with life-threatening illnesses:

- Refer a child with a life-threatening illness for a wish experience.

- Make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R).

- Volunteer for your local chapter. About Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Canada Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of Canada, through its eight regional chapters, grants the personal, special wishes of children aged three though 17, with life-threatening illnesses, to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Founded after a group of individuals helped a young boy fulfil his dream of being a police officer, the foundation is now the part of the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 162,000 children.

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