Oilmen raise money so kids can Make-A-Wish

MONAHANS Some kids might be nervous about interacting with strangers and being the center of attention, but for one 7-year-old Monahans girl it’s a pretty exciting prospect.

Hope Santiago will be the girl of the hour at a fundraising event benefitting the West Texas chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Permian Basin Oilman’s Bass Invitational organizer Jerry Cox said.

“She loves to be around people,” Hope’s mother, Stella Santiago said. “She can’t wait.”

The 17th Annual PBOBI event uses a fishing competition with teams of oil workers at Lake O.H. Ivie outside Ballinger to raise money for the Make-A-Wish-Foundation both Friday and Saturday, Cox said.

The fundraising goal is about a quarter of a million dollars this year, although in the 17 years they’ve had the event, PBOBI has donated about $2 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cox said.

Fundraising is done through sponsorship ads, raffles and donations, Cox said.

Hope will attend the fish weigh in, and at the end of both days she will stand on stage and hand out plaques and other awards to participating oilfield workers, Cox said.

“They’re our guest of honor,” Cox said about each year’s wish kid ambassador.

After being born with a disorder called Sacral Agenesis that caused a fourth of her spine, her pelvic bone and tailbone to be missing, Hope’s wish came true when she and her family went to Walt Disney World and several other Orlando, Fla., theme parks courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in June 2009, Stella Santiago said.

“It was a fairy tale deal from the very beginning,” Angel Santiago said about their Make-A-Wish Foundation involvement.

While the Santiagos said they weren’t sure what to expect when they were contacted about the PBOBI fundraiser, they and their daughter are looking forward to it.

“I’m excited,” Hope said.

Each year a “wish kid” gets to be the tournament’s ambassador, Cox said.

The fundraiser is unique to West Texas, Scotty Landry, Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas CEO, said.

While many events at other chapters are organized by Make-A-Wish personnel, Landry said the fishing competition is organized by PBOBI.

“It’s amazing everything they do for Make-A-Wish,” Angel Santiago said about PBOBI.

Make-A-Wish representatives from West Texas and New Mexico will be in attendance, but Landry said, despite offers of help, PBOBI members do most of the work themselves.

“They let us do very little,” Landry said, adding that he was impressed with the work PBOBI puts into the event.

Their efforts continue the second goal of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is to enrich the human experience, Landry said.

And through both the Make-A-Wish Foundation and PBOBI, the Santiagos said their daughter’s life has been enriched with new friendships and life experiences.

“It’s a blessing,” Stella Santiago said.