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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Make-A-Wish Foundation has been around since 1980 and has made hundreds of wishes come true for children.

There are 62 chapters of Make-A-Wish in the United States and one is in North Dakota. President & CEO Billie Jo Zielinski says since the North Dakota chapter was found, more than 800 wishes have been granted through the program.

Area children have also been impacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation including Carsten and Gage, both of Jamestown. Zielinski says it’s estimated that there are 50 children with life-threatening illness in North Dakota. She says they’ve closed the gap on granting those kid’s wishes.

Zielinski says the program is run entirely by volunteers.

Because of this, the need for volunteers is great for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Zielinski says that each volunteer is trained and background checks are done to ensure that each one is able to adequately work with the families and children.

Zielinski says there are some already amazing volunteers in the area that have helped several wishes come true for area families.

Individuals who would like to volunteer for the organization can visit wish.org. There, you can learn more, read stories on granted wishes and find more information.

Listen to a full interview with Billie Jo Zielinski below: