Jordan Spieth among Athletes in ESPN "My Wish" Series Debuting Sunday

New York Yankees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jimmy Butler Grant Sports-Themed Wishes to Make-A-Wish Children

(RELEASE) - Back for its 13th season, the award-winning ESPN “My Wish” Series returns Sunday, July 15, and this year will feature stars from the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the PGA TOUR. Since its beginning in 2006, the series has partnered with Make-A-Wish® to fulfill 63 sports-themed wishes for children with critical illnesses.

This year’s series of wishes will feature 11-time NFL Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, the iconic New York Yankees, PGA TOUR star Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Butler, who played last season in the NBA for the Minnesota Timberwolves after six seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Working together with Make-A-Wish, ESPN produces feature segments on the wishes for airing on SportsCenter, with new features debuting on Sunday, July 15, Monday and Tuesday, July 16-17, and Thursday, July 19. All features will re-air multiple times on other editions of SportsCenter and will be available on ESPN.com. A series compilation airs on SportsCenter on Friday, July 20.

Chris Connelly has been host of the ESPN “My Wish” Series since its beginning. The series is presented by Dove Men+Care.

The 2018 ESPN “My Wish” on SportsCenter segments include:
· Sunday, July 15 (debuts 10 a.m. SportsCenter) – Jordan Spieth: Morgan Comer, an 18-year-old from Tallahassee, Fla., survived a rare liver disease at 10 months old. Fourteen years later she was diagnosed with cancer. Morgan spent the day with Jordan Spieth at the PGA TOUR stop in Phoenix. PREVIEW
· Monday, July 16 (debuts 6 p.m. SportsCenter) – New York Yankees: Luca Iacono of Middletown, N.J., a 9-year-old living with a tumor in his lung, enjoyed a day with the New York Yankees, meeting Aaron Judge, batting with Didi Gregorius and getting hitting tips from former Yankee Alex Rodriguez.
· Tuesday, July 17 (debuts 6 p.m. SportsCenter) – Larry Fitzgerald: Tennyson Erickson, a 7-year-old from Platte, S.D., living with cancer, spent two days with Larry Fitzgerald playing catch, going through media day and attending mini-camp with the Cardinals.
· Thursday, July 19 (debuts 6 p.m. SportsCenter) – Jimmy Butler: Ethan Whitney, a 16-year-old from Appleton, Wis., currently in treatment for B-cell Lymphoma, was with Jimmy Butler for a day of shooting hoops, playing paintball and dominoes and building robots.
· Friday, July 20 (debuts 6 p.m. SportsCenter) – A look back at the most exciting and heartwarming moments from the 2018 ESPN My Wish Series.

In addition, a one-hour SportsCenter special will air on Sunday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. on ESPN and will include all of the 2018 “My Wish” Series wishes. Special versions of the wish videos will be shared on ESPN social media platforms.

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, including ESPN, has supported Make-A-Wish for three decades. The Company recently made a $100 million commitment to transform the children’s hospital experience over the next five years as part of the Disney Team of Heroes initiative and is working with children’s wish-granting organizations around the world to fulfill more than 10,000 wishes a year for children facing critical illnesses.

For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.