Press Release
June 24, 2014

Seaside boy with kidney cancer granted wish to be builder

Event: 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 8
Location: A.R. Wilson Quarry, Aromas
Follow: @sfwish @graniterockco #renzobuilds

Renzo, a 3-year-old Seaside resident who suffers from Wilm’s tumor, will live his dream of working as a construction foreman through the efforts of Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area and Graniterock of Watsonville. The two organizations have united to grant Renzo his wish of being a builder.

A special day has been arranged to give Renzo a true experience of what it is like to be a construction foreman.

On July 8, a big rig transfer truck will pick up Renzo at his home in Seaside and drive him to Graniterock’s A.R. Wilson Quarry in Aromas, where he will have a front row seat on several mighty machines - including a Caterpillar 777D, a D-11 dozer and Krupp crusher, the world’s largest rubber-tired mobile rock crusher. Renzo will also operate a remote-controlled diesel train engine and tour the quarry’s truck repair shop.

Renzo has been fascinated with tools and trucks since he was a baby. Despite his age and illness, Renzo can explain almost every tool in his father’s toolbox. Renzo and his father, who works as a firefighter, often use the tools to work on his motorcycle. “This was an amazing therapy for both of them,” Renzo’s mother Crystal said. During play time, Renzo always builds a construction yard with his many toy trucks, tools and diggers. “Since Renzo was 10 months-old, he has had an unbelievable imagination and fascination with Mighty Machines," Crystal said. (Mighty Machines is a DVD set that uses real footage of heavy equipment machines to show how they are used.)

“There is nothing more delightful than being able to witness a young child experience their fondest wish. Renzo has loved construction trucks since he was an infant, and will be able to see all of these incredible machines up close, riding in the cab, using the controls—this wish is the one thing his parents say helped him keep his mind off of treatment ” says Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Executive Director, Patricia Wilson. Media are invited to cover this heartfelt event. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP with Graniterock at 831.768.2068.

About Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area:
Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. In 2014 Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area celebrates 30 years fulfilling magical wishes. During its first year of operation, in 1984, the chapter granted 27 wishes. Now one of the largest chapters nationwide, the Greater Bay Area grants over 300 wishes per year and has granted over 6,000 wishes to date. The chapter covers 17 Northern California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano and Sonoma. The goal of Make-A-Wish is to grant a wish to every eligible child in its territory. Anyone can suggest a child for a wish. For more information or to refer a child for a wish, please call 415/982-9474 or visit www.SF.Wish.org.

About Graniterock:
Graniterock is a private, family-owned company that was founded on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1900. Graniterock has operations in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Seaside, Salinas, Hollister, Aromas, Felton, Oakland, San Jose, Redwood City and South San Francisco. The company supplies high-quality construction materials and its Construction Division is a significant regional heavy engineering contractor building roadways, airports and private commercial and residential projects. Visit www.graniterock.com.

For more information, contact:
Make-A-Wish
Jen Wilson 415.321.7388
Email:[email protected]