Family and friends gathered in Westbrook as seven-year-old Stella Axelsen was surprised with her very own “She Shed”, a wish granted through Make-A-Wish® Maine and Pine State Service Experts
Stella enjoys her new digs.
Stella poses with the Pine State Service Experts team.
Westbrook, ME, Nov. 19, 2024 – Family and friends gathered in Westbrook as seven-year-old Stella Axelsen was surprised with her very own “She Shed”, a wish granted through Make-A-Wish® Maine and Pine State Service Experts. A huge fan of Taylor Swift and Jojo Siwa, Stella has a respiratory disorder and has wished for her own private getaway, a wish that was made possible by Service Experts. The big reveal was documented by Jack Bjorn, a Portland-based photographer who has been in Stella’s shoes – he himself was a Make-A-Wish recipient, and now serves on the organization’s Young Leaders Council.
The Pine State Service Experts team put the finishing touches on Stella’s “She Shed” the day of the big reveal, after which a group that included Make-A-Wish Maine, Service Experts, and 50 of Stella’s family and friends lined the driveway to celebrate Stella’s limo arrival with her Stellies to see and hang in the shed for the first time. Stella rocked out in the private getaway, which is complete with a karaoke machine, friendship bracelet supplies, and more.
“We have always been committed to delivering total home comfort to our local communities,” said Dave Moody, Chief Marketing Officer of Service Experts. “Our seven-year partnership with Make-A-Wish has given us the chance to bring that comfort to more than just our customers as we’ve given families like Stella’s the hope and healing a granted wish can bring.”
Make-A-Wish Maine’s mission is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Since its founding in 1992, it has granted more than 1,900 wishes for kids in each of Maine’s 16 counties. Make-A-Wish has granted more than 360,000 wishes nationwide to children battling critical illnesses. A wish experience can be a game-changer, and tens of thousands of volunteers, donors, and supporters like Service Experts advance the Make-A-Wish vision to grant the wish of every eligible child. The Young Leaders Council is comprised of young professionals who desire to help further the mission of Make-A-Wish Maine through supporting its fundraising and advocacy efforts.
Service Experts, one of North America’s largest HVAC service companies, initiated its sponsorship of Make-A-Wish® America in 2018. The North American partnership touches the hundreds of communities Service Experts serves out of its more than 100 service centers, and this was the 28th wish celebration that Service Experts has hosted, with more than $1.5 million in total giving. To mark National Tune Up Day, all Service Experts centers are giving $5 from every tune-up, drain cleaning and water heater flush to Make-A-Wish® America through the end of October.
