Thanks to a $150,000 donation from Chartway Federal Credit Union’s We Promise Foundation, 15-year-old Christopher Santos-Palm will have the opportunity to set sail on a care-free Caribbean cruise with his family over the holidays. Here, he is pictured opening some special gifts to enjoy during his holiday getaway.
The holidays are a time of giving, and Chartway Federal Credit Union in Virginia Beach, Va., has granted a gift to 15-year-old Christopher Santos-Palm and his family that they will never forget.
The $1.9 billion credit union’s charitable arm that focuses on making dreams come true for gravely ill children presented Christopher, who is currently battling bone cancer, an early Christmas gift of a week-long Caribbean cruise.
“We are extremely grateful and so excited to go on this trip,” said Joy Santos-Palm, Christopher’s mother.
Chris has chordoma, a rare bone cancer that occurs in the head and spine, and he has endured multiple and painful treatments. As a result of this donation, Chris and his family will have the opportunity to experience a dream family vacation.
As Chartway’s charitable arm surprised Chris with the news that his special holiday wish would be coming true, they simultaneously presented a $150,000 donation to Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia, raising its giving to that organization to more than $2.3 million since 1999.
“It is a privilege to support an organization with goals and aspirations that align with ours – to bring smiles to the faces of young heroes facing adult pain,” said John Blum, chairman of the We Promise Foundation. “Being able to serve as a beacon of joy and hope for children like Chris battling hardship we could never imagine is what the We Promise Foundation is all about.”
Since Chartway Federal Credit Union’s charitable arm first began raising money to provide moments of magic to children battling life-threatening illnesses and severe hardship, it said, it has successfully raised more than $4.5 million.
