Make-A-Wish Foundation plans Trailblaze Challenge fundraiser in Joshua Tree National Park
Here's how to register for the March 6-8 event that benefits children with critical illnesses.
Black News 
Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire will hold the Trailblaze Challenge, the chapter’s endurance fundraising event, the weekend of March 6-8 in Joshua Tree National Park.
This will be the first time the event has been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release from Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire.
This year’s Trailblaze Challenge is an 18-mile, one-day hike through Joshua Tree National Park with trained hike leaders. The hike day is March 7.
The event includes a weekend basecamp at AutoCamp Joshua Tree, with Airstream accommodations; a welcome dinner, post-hike campfire and stargazing; and a Trail 2 Table brunch, according to the news release.
Individuals, corporate teams and local fitness clubs are invited to participate.
Participants commit to raising funds that support wishes for children with critical illnesses in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Currently, more than 400 children are waiting for their wishes to be granted by Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire, according to the news release.
“Trailblaze Challenge is about more than endurance — it’s about hope and heart,” Anne Grey, chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire, said in the news release. “When people challenge themselves, they echo the bravery of our wish kids, and we’re thrilled to bring our community together again for such an inspiring purpose.”
For this year’s event, Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire has launched the Corporate Trailblaze Challenge, sponsored by Justworks, which invites companies to engage employees, promote wellness and compete for the title of Corporate Trailblaze Champion.
For information about the 2026 Trailblaze Challenge and to register for the event, go to wish.org/ocie/trailblaze-challenge-0.
The Orange County and the Inland Empire chapter of Make-A-Wish was founded in 1983, and since then, it has granted more than 8,400 wishes for children, according to the news release. It is one of more than 50 chapters in the United States.
For information, go to wish.org/ocie.
