By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A Rockford mom who has created a legacy of generosity in honor of her son was named a CNN Hero this week. The honor recognizes people across the nation who make extraordinary contributions to their communities.
Kelli Ritschel Boehle is the founder of Nik’s Wish, a charity formed in 2012 that grants wishes to young adults ages 18-24 who are facing cancer. She was selected by CNN from thousands of applications submitted from around the world after a monthslong vetting process.
“I just want to say thank you to the Rockford community. It has been 11 and a half years and it’s been a lot of support from this area, from 815, to make this happen,” Ritschel Boehle said in a phone interview from Florida, where she is fundraising for the charity. “So many people who’ve either sponsored or donated or volunteered — lots and lots of volunteers — I hope they’re celebrating with us today.”
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The CNN segment can be viewed here. It also is slated to air again at 11 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday; and 4 p.m. Sunday.
The charity is named after Ritschel Boehle’s son, Nikolas Ritschel, who died after a three-year battle with cancer in 2012 at age 21. The night before his death, he asked his mom to help young adults who have aged out of the Make-A-Wish program live out their dreams.
“His last request was stuck in my head, and I couldn’t get it out of my head for several months and it was waking me up in the middle of the night,” Ritschel Boehle said. “Family and friends got together with this crazy idea of Nik’s, and I told him I would do it.”
The group held its first fundraiser in October 2012, raising enough money to grant three wishes. Now Nik’s Wish has granted more than 300 wishes in 38 states.
Ritshcel Boehle said she pictures her son looking down on the group’s work and smiling.
“I think he is helping me, inspiring me, and of course it keeps me going knowing that he is smiling down saying ‘keep going mom, keep doing it,'” she said.
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Nik’s Wish has already seen an increase in interest and donations since the CNN segment first aired Friday morning.
“I’m hoping not only do we open more doors for people to know about us for us to be able to give them a wish, but we also hope that we’ll get enough sponsors behind us to be able to deliver those wishes.”
In its 16 years, CNN Heroes has received nearly 100,000 nominations from people in more than 100 countries. It has profiled more than 350 heroes.
The CNN Hero of the Year is revealed during a special “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” show later this year. The media organization narrows down the dozens of heroes it has featured into a Top 10 before public voting is opened up to name the CNN Hero of the Year. Each of the Top 10 receives $10,000. The Hero of the Year receives an additional $100,000.
“I don’t know what the future brings, but today is a good day,” Ritschel Boehle said. “I’m really excited not only for Nik and our whole team, but for the Rockford community.”
About | Nik’s Wish
About: Nik’s Wish is a nonprofit that grants wishes to young adults ages 18-24 who are battling cancer and have aged out of the Make-A-Wish program. The nonprofit is named in honor of Nikolas Ritschel, who died from cancer in 2012 at the age of 21. The night before his death, he asked his mother to help grant wishes for others like him who were too old for Make-A-Wish.
Online: nikolasritschelfoundation.org
Donate: Donate directly to Nik’s Wish HERE or through GoFundMe HERE.
Upcoming fundraiser: The 12th annual Nik’s Wish 7K run, 1.5-mile walk and online auction on Oct. 14 at Rivet’s Stadium, 4503 Interstate Blvd., Loves Park. Learn more or register HERE.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas