Work begins on a place where wishes come true
TheMake-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey has broken ground on a castle like building that will be one of a kind on the East Coast.

The 20,000-square-foot structure, to be called the Samuel and Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place, will be on Perrineville Road, off Route 33 west in Monroe Township. It will be one of three "wishing places" that the foundation runs for seriously ill children in the United States.

The New Jersey chapter of the foundation, which has been granting wishes for seriously ill children in the state for 24 years, has been planning what it terms an "imagination-inspiring building - a wishing place" for two years and received municipal approval to build earlier this year.

The building is named in honor of the parents of Joe Plumeri, chairman and CEO ofWillis Group, the global insurance broker. Plumeri and his wife, Nancy, made a $2 million contribution toMake-A-Wish, the largest individual donation ever made to the foundation nationwide since its founding in 1980.

Jack Morris, CEO of Edgewood Properties, initially donated the 7-acre parcel for the Plumeri Wishing Place, but later doubled the donation to 14 acres. In addition, he and his longtime friend and business partner, Joe Marino, have donated their services to construct the facility.

TomWeatherall, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey, said the children served by his group will know upon first sight that the Wishing Place was built for them.

"Unlike the hospitals and treatment centers in which they have spent so much time, this special place will inspire hope, reflect fun, create magic and bring joy to all who enter it," he said.

To design the Plumeri Wishing Place, the foundation enlisted the volunteer efforts of creative design consultants, who first came up with the castle-like exterior. At the heart of its interior, they conceived a special room where the wish-granting process will unfold.

A Wish Gallery and Theatre, a family suite/den and a game area will accompany this Wishing Room.

Another multipurpose space, called the Hall of Hope, Strength and Joy, will enable the foundation to facilitate special wishes on site. These will include wishes to meet a celebrity, receive a gift, create a unique event or arrange a bon-voyage party for a family traveling on a wish. The space will unite children, their families, volunteers, staff and donors in the wish experience.

Make-A-Wish will also bring many of its wish family events to this venue, including picnics, holiday concerts and arts and crafts parties now hosted throughout the state in banquet facilities and catering halls.

The facility also will house a volunteer training and development center, a multipurpose room for wish-granting and special events, expanded space for critical support functions, staff offices, a children's garden and a wishing well.

When completed in 2009, the foundation will consolidate offices in Union and Cherry Hill to the Monroe location.