Stelios Foundation transforms Monaco into theatre of hope: €200,000 raised for Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish event organised by the Stelios Foundation © Alain Duprat
An exceptional philanthropic evening organised by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, with Victoria Silvstedt as emcee, transforms hope into reality for critically ill children worldwide.
On 16th June 2025, the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall in Monaco was transformed into a theatre of human generosity. In a single evening, the magic of philanthropy operated: €200,000 was raised for Make-A-Wish International, thanks to the remarkable commitment of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his distinguished guests.
The architect of hope
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, creator of the easy family of brands and founder and President of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, proved to be the true catalyst of this extraordinary evening. Not content with organizing the event, he announced that his Foundation would match all donations received during the night, euro-for-euro.
This strategic generosity was crowned by a prestigious distinction: Luciano Manzo, CEO of Make-A-Wish International, and Konstantine Antonopoulos, 2024 Wishmaker of the Year, jointly presented him with the Wishmaker of the Year 2025 award.
An exceptional cast
The evening brought together a remarkable array of guests. Victoria Silvstedt, international model and television personality, served as emcee with her usual charisma. The dedicated Make-A-Wish International team, led by Sylvia Hopkins Hanneman, Letizia Rossi and Fiona Kearney, ensured the operational success of the event.
A particularly moving moment marked the evening when Katerina Karaindrou, a wish alumna, shared her emotional story, reminding everyone why these initiatives transcend simple charity.
Make-A-Wish: the art of transforming dreams
Founded in 1980, Make-A-Wish International remains the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization. With more than 615,000 wishes granted in nearly 50 countries and territories worldwide, this institution transforms adversity into wonder. Every 25 seconds, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness and becomes eligible for a wish. These wish experiences restore the childhood stolen by a critical illness diagnosis and improve physical, psychological and emotional well-being.
Sir Stelios expands food programme to UK with £1 million donation
This collaboration between the Stelios Foundation and the Make-A-Wish family, which began with Make-A-Wish Greece, perfectly illustrates how modern philanthropy can amplify humanitarian impact on an international scale.