When Jennifer, the store leader at the PetSmart in Hanover Maryland, was contacted by The Make-a-Wish Foundation, about granting a wish at her store, Jennifer could not say yes fast enough.
Daniel, a local teenager, who is battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, wished to go on a shopping spree at his three favorite stores. With PetSmart as his last stop, he wanted to stock up on all sorts of essentials for his collection of pets.
Jennifer was eager to welcome Daniel because of her personal connection to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Jennifer recently lost a close family friend to a battle with Lymphoma, and since then Jennifer has made it a point to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in any way she could. “How many times do you get an opportunity to make a child’s wish come true,” she said. Jennifer said her goal was to make Daniel’s day his best yet. “If we can make his day special we’re gonna do it.”
On the day of the event, Jennifer gathered five PetSmart associates, five Banfield staff members and several customers to greet Daniel as he entered the store. They welcomed him with a red carpet, donned him with a blue lei and gave everyone in the store signs to hold announcing Daniel as PetSmart’s Associate of the Day. Chance, the PetSmart mascot, even made an appearance and accompanied Daniel and the PetSmart team around the store as he shopped for his growing collection of pets.
“This means everything,” Daniel said. “This has been the best day ever.”
Daniel left the store that day with a flatbed full of pets and pet essentials, while Jennifer left with a special connection to the family she will never forget. “This was probably one of my favorite days of working for PetSmart,” Jennifer said, “It’s not just about saving lives, it’s about making connections with the people who love those pets.”
