Wish of a Lifetime helps senior citizens in SLO County and beyond fulfil life-changing wishes 

After spending their formative years in an internment camp set up during World War II, Japanese American brothers Toki and Nori Endo rose to become decorated pilots in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, respectively.

"Individuals like Toki Endo, who have given back so much to their country, really, in the face of incredible adversity, are individuals that we love to serve," Wish of a Lifetime executive director Tom Wagenlander said. "I think as a society, we owe a debt of gratitude and opportunity to empower them to age in the way they would want to age."

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• Courtesy Photo By Blake Andrews And Courtesy Of Wish Of A Lifetime
• TOGETHER AT LAST Wish of a Lifetime helped Japanese American veteran Toki Endo (center in leaf-print shirt) reunite with his brother Nori Endo's family in Templeton 10 years after the latter passed away.

The brothers' distinguished careers encompassed a combined 468 missions over Vietnam. But they eventually drifted apart, prompting 87-year-old Toki to arrive in San Luis Obispo County yearning for a reunion.

"Their careers, their families sort of created a little bit of a passive drift between the two brothers," Wagenlander said. "It was about 10 years ago that Nori passed away, and it was at that moment that Toki realized he really wanted to make sure their story and their sacrifice, their connection ... their legacy was preserved for future generations."

Enter Wish of a Lifetime, a charitable affiliate of the AARP ( formerly the American Association of Retired People). With the help of individual, corporate, and in-kind donations, the program grants life-changing wishes to older and aging Americans like Toki.

Learning about his brother's death sparked a desire in Toki to meet Nori's family. The veteran connected with Wish of a Lifetime, and he arrived in Templeton with his daughter in August to meet his extended family. Wagenlander told New Times that Toki shared stories of brotherhood with Nori's family.

"It was a pretty personal and intimate reconnection," he said. "So, we didn't actually send volunteers because we wanted the families to really have a lot of family time with one another and keep it a pretty close circle of individuals."

Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom founded Wish of a Lifetime in 2008 in honor of his grandparents, whom he considered his major support system. Since then, Wish of a Lifetime has granted almost 3,000 wishes to senior citizens across the nation.

"Our services are open to anyone over the age of 65," Wagenlander said. "We do work with historically underserved audiences that may be disadvantaged from a financial perspective, or a health condition that's perhaps preventing them from aging successfully or with as much hope and joy is as would be desired."

Submit wishes online through the application form available at wishofalifetime.org.

Wish of a Lifetime from AARP has granted wishes for at least four San Luis Obispo County residents, including one in 2019 for Arroyo Grande resident Elvira Gomes—a 94-year-old first generation U.S. citizen. Wish of a Lifetime fulfilled Gomes' dream of traveling to New York City with her daughter to visit the Statue of Liberty for the first time in honor of her immigrant parents. Gomes passed away in 2020.

"Broadly speaking, our society has a very negative perception of aging," Wagenlander said. "A lot of times it is seen as a period where you lose capabilities, you lose connections, when really there's an amazing chance to reconnect with purpose and passions that give you a sense of joy."

Fast fact

• The League of Women Voters of SLO County is partnering with the South County Chambers of Commerce to moderate two local mayoral and city council races. Grover Beach candidates are up first on Sep. 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the South County Regional Center on 800 W. Branch St., followed by their Arroyo Grande counterparts on Sep. 19 at the same time and location. The moderators encourage community members to submit questions on issues applicable to all candidates. For additional information contact the South County Chambers of Commerce at (805) 488-1488 or [email protected], or the League of Women Voters at (805) 242-6990 or [email protected]. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at [email protected].