KTM Co-Founder Al Harris got to sit down with Frank Shankwitz, the Creator and a Founder of the Make-A-Wish America Foundation. The two got to sit down at Manny Lopez’s #ServeX event and discuss what inspired Frank to create the 501 non-profit organization that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. To date, the foundation has granted wishes for more than 450,000 children in 50 countries worldwide.
They also discussed the upcoming Hollywood feature film ‘Wish Man’ which features Andrew Steel as Frank, Kirby Bliss Blanton as TV Personality Kitty Carlisle, teen star Chris Day as a young Frank, and Danny Trejo as Jose. For information on when this movie will be on a big screen near you, check out the official ‘Wish Man’ facebook page Wish Man Movie.
via www.wishman1.com: Raised in northern Arizona, Frank attended grade school in Seligman, and junior high and high school in Prescott, graduating from Prescott High School in 1961. Frank graduated from Phoenix College in 1970, with continuing education at Arizona Western College and Arizona State University.
Following high school, Frank enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, was stationed in England, and received an Honorable Discharge in 1965. Upon returning home, Frank was employed by Motorola, Inc. for seven years
In 1972, Frank started his career with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, assigned to the Arizona Highway Patrol as a car officer assigned to Yuma, Arizona where Frank’s interest in working with children began as a coach for the Special Olympics program.
In 1975, Frank was transferred to the Phoenix area to be part of a new 10-man Motorcycle Tactical Unit designed for work throughout the state. For the next 10 years, whenever assigned to small towns, Frank would visit local grade schools and talk about bicycle safety and let the children sit on his motorcycle.
Frank was one of the primary officers from the Arizona Highway Patrol who was responsible for granting the “wish” of a 7-year old boy with leukemia, who wanted to be a Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer like his heroes, Ponch and John from the television show, “CHiPs”. Chris was made the first and only Honorary Arizona Highway Patrol Officer in the history of the Arizona Highway Patrol, complete with a custom made uniform, badge, and Motor Officer Wings.
Chris succumbed to his illness a few day after receiving his “wish”, and was buried with full police honors in Illinois, with Frank leading the police funeral procession.
Chris was the inspiration for Frank’s idea to start a non-profit foundation that would let children ‘make a wish‘ and have it come true.
Frank retired as a Homicide Detective from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, returned as a sworn Reserve Detective assigned to the Prescott Police Department Cold Case Homicide Unit, and is the current secretary/member with the Yavapai County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse. Frank has 42 years of service in law enforcement.
Frank and his wife Kitty continue to reside in Prescott, Arizona. His two adult daughters, three grandchildren and one great-grandson reside in Ohio.
We’d like to thank Frank tremendously for taking out some time to chat with us! This is an incredibly inspirational story and we look forward to seeing so many of our awesome KTM members at the upcoming screening in Hollywood.
Shot & Edited by Dumisani Maraire Jr. for VlogPics.com