DURHAM, N.C. –This summer, you can help a 10-year-old boy’s mission to spread smiles and help grant wishes for kids across the state fighting critical illnesses.

What You Need To Know

  • Harrison Gattis is a 10-year-old Make-A-Wish alum and advocate with muscular dystrophy

  • Harrison and his family are taking part in the Summer of Wishes campaign, to help raise $10,000 for Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina

  • The “You’ve Been STARtled” campaign involves  planting sparkly blue stars in a friend or family member’s yard that can be removed by donating to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina

Harrison Gattis is working hard to raise $10,000 by Aug. 31 for Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina’s Summer of Wishes campaign.

Gattis, who has muscular dystrophy, had his wish granted last September when the nonprofit sent him and his family to Hawaii so he could make a virtual wish in a volcano.

“I was really in Hawaii. I was really in a volcano, and I was, Make-A-Wish N.C. really did that just for me. I just felt so happy,” Harrison Gattis said.

Inspired by his own magical wish experience, Harrison is now determined to spread that joy to others by raising money to go toward granting wishes to the 450 North Carolina kids on the waiting list. 

To achieve his goal, Harrison, his twin sister Grace and entire family are raising money through a fundraiser called “You’ve been STARtled.”

The Gattis family cut, painted and are planting 40 sparkly blue stars in friends and family member’s yards, which can be removed through donations to Make-A-Wish Eastern N.C.

Harrison’s mom, Sarah Gattis, said in part, “I'm so proud of him. When I see his passion for giving back to the community and giving back what he and we have received.”

“He's just a giving soul, and I'm proud of him for that. His siblings are very giving, and I love that they do them together,” Sarah Gattis said.

The Director of Development for Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina, Sarah Cothren, came up with the "You’ve been STARtled" idea and is helping coordinate fundraising efforts among the Wish Alumni group.

“I originally kind of prompted our Wish Alumni group, you know, $10,000. Let’s make that the goal. And then Harrison, of course came back and said, ‘$10,000? That’s going to be my PERSONAL goal,'” Cothren said.

She then came up with the “You’ve been STARtled” campaign.

You can help Harrison’s cause by checking out this link or find his adventures and plans on his Instagram, where he shares other ways he’s working to reach that $10,000 goal by Aug. 31.  

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