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Make-A-Wish: Ben shares love of wonton soup with Alexandre Burrows

Join Black Press Media on Dec. 18, 2020, and help grant wishes and give hope to children and youth
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Vancouver Canuck Alex Burrows, left, and Ben, 14, right, enjoy a bowl of wonton. (Derek Jory/Vancouver Canucks)

This month, Black Press Media has teamed up with Make-A-Wish and BraveFace to help grant wishes, one mask purchase at a time. Here’s one wish that was granted through the Make-A-Wish B.C. and Yukon chapter…

“I wish to meet Vancouver Canuck, Alex Burrows” – April 2016

Wishes are as unique as the kids who make them. For Ben, who born with a congenital heart defect, the wish was definitely unique, very specific – and very Canadian.

Ben has a love of wonton soup, and over the years he’s taken his taste buds to many Lower Mainland restaurants to try steaming hot bowls of his favourite offerings.

Ben also has a love of hockey. The Vancouver Canucks are his favourite team, and veteran right-winger Alexandre Burrows is his favourite player.

Wonton soup and the Canucks go together about as well as – well – Ben having lunch with Burrows.

But Ben had a chance do more than just chat with the beloved Canuck over a bowl of soup. The 14-year-old was invited to Rogers Arena to watch a Canucks practice before sharing in a limo ride with Burrows en route to Kirin Restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

After the meal, Burrows surprised Ben with a team jersey and tickets for Ben’s whole family to go to the next night’s Canucks game.

For the most part, Ben was happy just to be quiet, and soak in every moment of his unique experience, but his father, Jerry, had a lot to say about it all.

“It was awesome. [We were] blown away by Burrows’ genuine nature. He was so down to earth,” said Jerry. “The way the wish was all set up was… such a positive moment for our whole family. The people involved were all first class. Just to see that people care; that to me was amazing.”


Critically ill kids put on a Brave Face every day. Now you can, too, in support of Make-A-Wish.

Black Press Media and BraveFace have come together to support children facing life-threatening conditions, and we invite you to join us in helping children’s wishes come true. Click here to buy your masks today!

By purchasing a pack of three masks designed and manufactured right here in British Columbia for children, youth and adults, you’ll be supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation BC & Yukon.