The Luxaire^® brand of Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart and sustainable buildings and the architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, and distributor partner Design Air, rallied the communities of Wisconsin to help raise funds for children with critical illnesses during the Make-A-Wish^® Wisconsin Walk For Wishes^® event.

The state-wide fundraiser garnered record-breaking funds of $250,000 compared to previous Milwaukee Walk for Wishes events, which will grant 50 wishes to Wisconsin Make-A-Wish kids, despite being held virtually due to the Coronavirus. Throughout the week-long event, participants were welcomed to walk or run within their local neighborhood and participate in an interactive virtual scavenger hunt to support the cause and for the chance to win prizes. In total, 750 people participated, including hundreds of wish family members.

“Supporting the communities where our employees and partners live through Make-A-Wish is an incredibly important commitment of Johnson Controls,” said Nina LoCicero, director of marketing and digital, Ducted Systems, Johnson Controls. “It’s particularly gratifying when we have the opportunity to join efforts with our valued distributor partners to benefit local Make-A-Wish chapters.”

As title sponsors, Johnson Controls and Luxaire helped grant wishes to Austyn, 16, who wished for an online shopping spree, and Remy, 4, who wished for a camper. Design Air helped grant wishes to Hannah, 17, who wished to go to Hawaii, and Evan, 10, who wished for a UTV. Evan’s wish was granted through Design Air’s Statewide Matching Gift Donation for all walk participants the week of the event.

“We are proud to partner with Luxaire and Johnson Controls in supporting our local chapter of Make-A-Wish,” said Mike Gallagher, president, Design Air. “It means the world to our team to have the opportunity to help fulfill the wishes of Make-A-Wish children.”

Luxaire has supported Make-A-Wish since 2001. To date, Luxaire and its partners, including Design Air, have donated a total of $4.6 million to the organization, granting children across the United States more than 500 wishes.

“Since 2001, the Luxaire brand of heating and air conditioning equipment has been a strong supporter of Make-A-Wish – so have hundreds of Luxaire distributors and dealers across the country,” said Patti Gorsky, president & CEO, Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. “Make-A-Wish Wisconsin is proud of our partnership with Luxaire, as we work together to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses.”

About Make-A-Wish^®

Make-A-Wish^® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and 33,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant wishes across the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes worldwide. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. We deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing. With a global team of 105,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers’ mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco^®, YORK^®, Metasys^®, Ruskin^®, Titus^®, Frick^®, Penn^®, Sabroe^®, Simplex^®, Ansul^® and Grinnell^®. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.