In 2024, Make-A-Wish America granted a record-breaking 16,295 wishes to children battling critical illness. It also marked the organization’s second consecutive year making more than 16,000 wishes a reality. And while requests run the gamut from revamping backyards into state-of-the-art basketball courts to being a zookeeper for a day, 70% of all wishes involve travel.
Ensemble is helping make even more of these dreams a reality. Recently, the travel consortium made a $7,000 donation to Make-A-Wish, the last in its 2025-2026 fundraising campaign. Collectively, Ensemble members raised more than $126,000. The consortium’s parent company, Range Group, matched every dollar, bringing the grand total to $260,000 donated to Make-A-Wish during the fundraising campaign.
This donation will help grant 25 wishes across the U.S. and Canada, ultimately helping children realize their dreams and empowering them (according to Make-A-Wish, 87% of recipients say their wish marked a turning point during medical treatments).
Jeff and Brigette Oestreich, Ensemble members and owners of Goldrush Getaways, were among the top fundraisers.
Giving Back Is a Business Model
Headquartered in Citrus Heights, California, Goldrush Getaways contributed “several thousand dollars” to Ensemble’s Make-A-Wish fundraiser.
“If you look at the statistics on [wishes], 70% are travel related,” Brigette Oestreich said. “We’re in the travel industry, so it’s a really good fit. Everybody is contributing to [the campaign], and Ensemble matched everything that we do.”
During Ensemble’s annual summit last year, the husband-and-wife team had the opportunity to design Make-A-Wish trips alongside other members of the organization.
“We got into groups of 10 and were assigned a child,” Brigette said. “They give you a [description] of a child and what they want, their hobbies and where they might like to go. They asked us, ‘If you were [arranging this], how would you do it? How would you get all the little things they wished for into one grant?’”
Although Make-A-Wish handles all final wish planning and coordination in-house, the couple enjoyed the experience.
Jeff and Brigette Oestreich, owners of Goldrush Getaways, incorporate charitable donations into their budget every year.
2026 Jeff Oestreich“It felt cool to put all the pieces together,” Brigette said. “Some of them got to be pretty wild.”
A year later, they even got to meet the mother of a Make-A-Wish child during Ensemble’s annual Horizons event, further bringing the Oestreiches face-to-face with the impact of their donation.
Beyond Make-A-Wish, the couple regularly donates to a number of nonprofits. For them, giving back to the community is a part of their business model.
“I always have a budget for this,” Jeff explained. “We have several charities that we give to. We give away cruises to a lot of 501(c) charities to raise money for their auctions. We do a lot for foster care and Alzheimer’s.”
This has been the model at Goldrush Getaways since 2010, when Jeff and his father, Jim Oestrich, purchased the travel agency.
Currently, Jeff is toying with the idea of matching contributions made by advisors, inspired by Ensemble’s own dollar-for-dollar matching. He’s also intrigued by the idea of giving advisors the opportunity to donate $1 out of every commission earned.
You get 100 people donating $20, and you have a [sizeable donation].
“You don’t have to be the deep-pocket guy giving $10,000 or $5,000,” Jeff said. “It’s about making a meaningful difference in the lives of others, and it doesn’t take a lot. You get 100 people donating $20, and you have a [sizeable donation].”
Ensemble’s Social Impact
Ensemble’s recent donation isn’t the first time the organization has fundraised for Make-A-Wish. The travel consortium first began supporting the nonprofit in 2010, and decided to re-establish the relationship in 2025.
“The response from the Ensemble community has been extraordinary and reinforced just how meaningful the partnership continues to be,” said Shahla Lalani, senior vice president of marketing and events for Ensemble.
As the consortium gears up for its 2026-2027 fundraising season, Make-A-Wish will once again be one of the beneficiaries.
“With [a majority of] wishes involving travel, our members and partners understand firsthand the extraordinary power a journey can have; the anticipation it creates, the memories it provides and the opportunity it gives families to experience something special together,” Lalani said.
