Karen Manley Kahler presenting the Lincoln Test Drive donation check to Kelli Ritschel Boehle. Pictured Left to Right: Tom Hilbert, Joe Hamblock, Charlie Granneman, Kelli, Denise Granneman, Karen, Brian Lyngaas, and Judi Boehle. Tom, Kelli, Denise, and Judi are all Nik’s Wish volunteer Wish Makers; Charlie and Brian are Nik’s Home Run Test Drive volunteers.

On Friday, January 10th at Manley’s Belvidere Ford – Lincoln dealership, Karen Manley Kahler presented a Test-Drive check donation of $3,440 to Kelli Ritschel Boehle, Founder and Executive Director of Nik’s Wish.

For the second year in a row, Manley Motors hosted the Lincoln Test Drive event at the October Nik’s Home Run fundraiser, held at Rockford Rivets Stadium. The event raised $3,260 in 2018 and now $3,440 in 2019. Combined, the two-year total is more than enough to fund a Nik Wish for a young adult cancer fighter. (A Wish averages about $6,000.) Accordingly, in a heartfelt show of appreciation, Ms. Boehle then presented Ms. Kahler and Manley’s General Manager, Joe Hamblock with a Memory Maker Square. The Square is an 8”x 8” mountable, canvas display of text and one or more photos depicting the story of the young adult cancer warrior (18-24) whose granted wish can then either be fulfilled or greatly helped by this donation.

For both years, before the start of Nik’s Home Run, Ms. Kahler (with the help of a half dozen Nik’s Home Run volunteers) drove five or six new vehicles from the Manley dealership to the Stadium, set up a tent-stand, and then began asking the fundraiser participants to take a test drive in a brand new Lincoln. For each participant-completed pre-drive survey, the Lincoln Motor Company would donate $20 to Nik’s Wish. For each completed post-drive survey, they would donate an additional $10. At the end of Nik’s Home Run, the tent-stand was packed-up and the Lincolns were driven back to the dealership. Ms. Kahler then compiled the surveys and submitted them to the Lincoln Motor Company for evaluation. Eventually, a Test-Drive check would arrive at the dealership for The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation.

 

“We’re thrilled with our wonderful relationship with Karen, Joe, and Manley Motors,” said Kelli Ritschel Boehle. “I want to thank them, our volunteer helpers, and especially all the Test Drive participants who made this donation possible. This year, we hope to have another Lincoln Test Drive event at Nik’s Home Run on Saturday, October 10th.”

 

In March, 2012, Nik Ritschel, battling Synovial Sarcoma, inspired the creation of The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation (a.k.a. Nik’s Wish). Nik’s dying wish was to help other young adult cancer warriors who missed-out on receiving a Wish. They missed-out because they were diagnosed after turning 18, which made them ineligible for Make-A-Wish type programs. Since 2012, Nik’s Wish has granted over 175 wishes in 31 states. The majority of these wishes have been in Northern Illinois and the Chicagoland area. Once a wish is granted, a volunteer Wish Maker works directly with the Wisher and their loved ones to make all the arrangements. This relieves the Wish Family from worrying over all the wish details, and allows them to focus on their precious, memorable time together enjoying the wish. To learn more about this Rockford-based 501(c)(3) charity, and to see how you can help young adult cancer warriors, please visit our new website at www.NiksWish.org or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NikolasRitschelFoundation/.

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