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News Specialist Ed Yeates reporting It wasn't your usual groundbreaking. Children with life threatening illnesses who've all had wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation planted make-believe star seeds in a pile of sand, then asked others at the ceremony to join in, spreading handfuls of symbolic "seeds of hope " over the site.
The ground looks a little rough and barren right now, but come this fall, it'll be much different.
Thanks to many donors, the Wishing Place will be a landmark for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Here, kids limited with life threatening illnesses will enter a world of fantasy, creating their own dreams in customized rooms.
Christine Sharer, CEO of the Utah Make-A-Wish Foundation says, "We have one room called the wish exploration room where the children will be led through a process to imagine what their wishes could be."
If they decide on something they've always wanted, they'll enter a make-believe castle tower - perhaps - to make their one special wish.
"That will be a secret until the day we open. But it will be a place where we will ceremonialize or ritualize making a wish," Sharer says.
Jon Paul White was among those planting a symbolic star in a pile of sand. He had his wish granted last December, flying to London for a special meeting with James Bond - Pierce Brosnan anyway- who plays the famous secret agent.
Though he's already had his wish, this spot in Murray will mean a lot for other kids like him facing an unknown future.
"I think it's more magical to just make a wish in a more fun place," White says.
The Wishing Place will open its doors to imagination this fall. It will also be a gathering place for volunteers in training and families who simply need a quiet place alone for a while.
