News 
A dream to see the Big Island of Hawaii, and its majestic volcanoes overflowing with bright red lava, will come true for a little boy from Washougal.
Five-year-old Coleman Merle was granted his dream-come-true trip through Make-A-Wish Oregon. Coleman suffers from a Wilms tumor, which is a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys, and is the most common type of kidney cancer in children, according to the American Cancer Society.
On Friday, Coleman received a fun-filled send-off after arriving at Beaches Restaurant in Vancouver in a shiny black limousine. He was greeted at the event by friends, family members and Make-A-Wish Foundation volunteers and then whisked into the party inside where he received an itinerary detailing the upcoming trip he will take with his family, beach-themed gifts for the trip, and a custom-made volcano cake.
“Coleman loves volcanoes and lava, and looks forward to seeing both on his trip to Hawaii,” said Carynne Drake of Make-A-Wish Oregon.
The local event was part of World Wish Day, celebrated throughout the month of April around the globe to recognize the anniversary of Make-A-Wish, Founded in 1980 when a little boy was granted his wish to be a police officer for a day, today Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child with a life-threatening condition every 23 minutes. The Oregon chapter, which serves children living in Oregon and Clark County, has granted 2,500 wishes since its inception in 1983.
