PHOENIX -- World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is strengthening its 20-year dedication to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions with a new multi-year agreement announced Tuesday during a joint press conference at US Airways Center.
 
The partnership's first act under the new, multi-year, million-dollar sponsorship commitment will be to hold WWE's biggest wish-granting event ever at WrestleMania XXIV on March 30 in Orlando, Fla. 
 
WWE and the Make-A-Wish Foundation will grant the wishes of more than 50 children during the course of the next five weeks, culminating in a star-filled experience hosted by WWE in Orlando during the weekend of WrestleMania XXIV. The children will meet their favorite WWE Superstars while participating in a weekend full of activities, including events at Universal Orlando Resort, being officially inducted into the WWE Make-A-Wish "Circle of Champions" at the annual Bacon, Bagels and Biceps brunch sponsored by the David Maus Foundation, which will make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida; and attending WrestleMania.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation also recognized WWE Superstar John Cena with an award to celebrate his 100th wish granted to a Make-A-Wish child. Modern-day Superstars, such as Cena and Rey Mysterio, now carry the torch for WWE in its wish granting, following in the bighearted footsteps of past WWE Superstars such as Hulk Hogan and The Rock. 
 
WWE long has been one of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's most enthusiastic wish granters, fulfilling hundreds of wishes in the past 20 years. In 2004, the Foundation paid tribute to WWE with its Chris Greicius Celebrity Award, which recognizes organizations and individuals from the entertainment and sports worlds for their inspirational wish-granting activities. Jesse Ventura (1991), Hogan (1994), Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (2000) and WWE executive Sue Aitchison (2006) also have received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.
 
"WWE has been creating incredible wish experiences and providing in-kind support to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for the past two decades, and we're honored to bring our relationship to a new level through this generous donation," said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer.

"We're also delighted to join with WWE to grant 50 kids' wishes on the road to WrestleMania. It symbolizes the Foundation's devotion to making wishes happen for children with life-threatening medical conditions in all 50 states," Williams said.
 
"For more than 20 years, WWE has had the honor to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant wishes to children, and now we're taking that relationship to a new level," said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. "There's no better stage than WrestleMania to hold the WWE's biggest wish event ever with the world's pre-eminent children's wish-granting organization."