Behind The Wish: Jake Weightman
Meet the surfing, skateboarding, football-playing volunteer at Cardinia-Casey Branch, Jake Weightman.
Jake has brought enthusiasm and energy to the Branch since he signed up back in 2016 as a 22-year-old.
Behind The Wish is our series of inspirational reads diving into the everyday superheroes involved in creating life-changing wishes.
Grateful for kind, generous parents
I grew up in Pakenham, right on the border of Officer and Pakenham. It’s like a hobby farm, so my parents have 20 acres. We have cows and dad runs his plumbing business out of there. Mum is a hairdresser and has her own salon at home.
I have two sisters younger than me and a brother, Cody, who plays AFL for the Western Bulldogs.
Mum and Dad both had sporting ability so they kind of passed it down.
Dad played footy back when it was the VFA and had a few trials with St Kilda and Richmond but played mostly for Dandenong.
We were so lucky growing up, I can’t thank my parents enough for what they have done.
They put me through a private school and just gave me good foundations so I can thrive in my life.
Picture: Jake (far right) with brother Cody and their parents.
Mum is super kind and thoughtful and puts others before herself. Those values rubbed off on me and growing up I enjoyed doing things for others. Just doing it naturally, it’s not forced.
I love people. I guess some people don’t know what their calling is but I knew from a young age that one of my strengths was people skills. So I think that’s where the caring and giving back mindset came from.
Role model on and off footy field
I have studied sport therapy leading into physiotherapy but it wasn’t for me. So at 19 I was talking to my uncle who was in the telecommunications space and he told me there was a traineeship going and I thought why not, I’ll apply.
So I did the traineeship for two years and have moved through the ranks and now I am a construction manager. I was involved in the rolling out of the NBN.
I am interested in mental health. I have been the captain of the footy club I have played at in recent years and in that role you have teammates coming to you with their problems but I really wanted to have the right research behind me so the advice I give them was leading them down the right path.
I think it’s also really important for kids to have really good role models.
People feel comfortable around me and they are able to express themselves and be vulnerable. From there you can see great growth in people, including young men playing football.
Make-A-Wish values resonate with Jake
I was always intent on giving back and it was just a matter of finding the charity or charities I could help.
I joined Make-A-Wish as a volunteer because, from a young age, I’ve always been passionate about people and deeply aware of how precious time is. Volunteering seemed like a natural way to give back.
But why Make-A-Wish? While on a work trip to Warrnambool, my colleague and I had a 3.5-hour drive ahead of us, and I decided to research charities. Make-A-Wish stood out to me because of its values—Integrity, Impact, Innovation, and Community—aligned with my own.
Their commitment to transparency, delivering life-changing wishes, being bold and imaginative, and fostering a sense of unity really resonated deeply with me.
At 22, I was new to volunteering, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect in terms of roles and responsibilities.
But I knew that any time I could contribute, whether it was shaking tins at Richmond Station before an AFL game or helping in other ways, I’d be making a small but meaningful contribution to making wishes come true.
A few weeks after submitting my paperwork, I got a call from Heather Fox, a volunteer coordinator in the Cardinia-Casey branch.
She said they’d received my application and wanted to invite me for an interview. I was ecstatic—volunteering was local, in Pakenham, and it felt like the perfect fit. I could have been assigned to a Branch anywhere. I got off the phone thinking wow, this is great!
Picture: Jake with fellow volunteer Carol Porter.
The interview process was thorough and welcoming. Heather, along with Jacqui (the Branch President at the time) and Eva Losifidis (now the Branch President), made me feel right at home.
It turns out that Eva and I became fast friends, and we often joke that we’re Make-A-Wish siblings since we started on the same day.
Through the interview, I realized I could bring a lot to the table. My local business connections in the Casey-Cardinia area could help with fundraising, and my people skills would be useful in relationship-building.
Nearly nine years later, I’ve granted countless wishes, formed lifelong friendships with other volunteers, helped raise much-needed funds, and made a real difference in the lives of children facing critical illnesses.
Every step of the way, I’ve been reminded just how powerful it is to be part of something that truly changes lives.
Ace's wish still inspires years later
As volunteers, we don’t have ‘favourite’ wishes because each one is unique and special in its own way.
However, there are some wishes that leave a lasting emotional impact.
One wish that has stayed with me is Ace’s wish, a young man turning 18.
Ace’s story is something I think about every time I lace up my football boots.
Diagnosed with dystonia as a 1-year-old, Ace has full cognitive function but cannot communicate verbally, and his hand dexterity is limited. Instead, he uses his eyes to control an electronic communication device.
Because of my background in sports, I often get asked to do sporting-related wishes at the branch.
When I learned that Ace was a passionate Brisbane Lions fan, we instantly connected.
He grew up in Pakenham, shared my love for AFL, and his bedroom was a shrine to the Lions—full of memorabilia. He’d even converted his mum, Raylene, from a Carlton supporter to a Lions fan, and was working on converting his stepdad, Warren, a St Kilda supporter, to a Lion as well.
Ace’s life revolved around the Lions. He lived and breathed the Brisbane Lions. He followed their social media, rewatched game replays, and had a smart football IQ. He even attended their training sessions in Melbourne and was on a first-name basis with many of the players.
Ace’s wish was to travel to Brisbane for the first time to meet the team, watch a training session, and experience the heart of Lions country. It was a VIP experience at the Gabba during a game against Carlton.
I was able to organise a few extra special touches, knowing one of the players, Matt Eagles, was injured and would be watching from the sidelines.
He gave me a couple of videos I sent to Ace to get him excited for the wish.
The Lions went on to win, and Ace was there in the tunnel to congratulate them. He had become a true Brisbane Lions legend.
On the day of the game, Ace’s mum, Raylene, did the coin toss, and Ace was treated like a VIP, with access to the Hyundai Lounge.
The wish went so well. I just wanted everything to go right and it did. I wanted it to be a wish he would remember all his life.
I didn’t realise the impact it would have on me.
I watch his videos pretty much before every game.
Every time I step on the field, I play for him, knowing how much it would mean for him to be able to run out and play football himself.
I’ll never forget the video of Ace speaking to the players, encouraging them with the words, “Show no mercy.”
To this day, those words inspire me. I say them to my own team before every game, knowing how much it meant to Ace to see his team perform.
I actually get my wrist strapped before games and write on the tape ‘Show no mercy’.
I just appreciate every single game, thanks to Ace.
Parents welcome volunteers and share their stories
The parents of wish kids make you feel welcome, they invite you into their family home.
You feel honoured that they welcome you with such open arms. You get a sense of how much they are going through.
They are trying to balance their lives, still working and caring for the wish child and their siblings. They wear so many caps, they are superheroes.
They want the best for their children and they will do anything for them.
It’s really special to be able to communicate with the wish parents.
Fundraisers crucial for wishes to be delivered
Without fundraising, the wishes don’t happen.
It’s fortunate that our Cardinia-Casey Branch we have some major events that raise money. We have two golf days a year.
Our partnership with Casey Partners, an accountancy firm has made it possible to have our 28th annual Make-A-Wish charity golf day fundraiser in 2024.
At this year’s event held at the Keysborough Golf Club we raised just over $65,000.
Facey Property Group also had their 30th annual Make-A-Wish charity golf day, raising just over $30,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia. It was held at the Spring Valley Golf Course.
Both Casey and Facey Property Group are actually approaching $1 million raised each!
Picture: Jake with fellow volunteer and Branch President Eva Losifidis and Facey Property Group general manager Mark Bond.
We usually have a wish child at the golf days talking about the impact their wish made on them.
This year we had Owen Bowditch speak at one of the days. It helps with the fundraising.
We have teams of four playing during the day. And we have a ‘Beat the Pro’ competition which generates extra money for the team. And we raffle items, including signed AFL guernseys.
Cody's art raises thousands for wishes
This year we did Beyond The Game, an art exhibition collaboration with my brother Cody (pictured) raising over $40,000 for Make-A-Wish from the sales of his artwork.
We will hopefully make it an ongoing thing. I think we always knew we wanted to join together and do something for Make-A-Wish so more kids could have their wishes.
Cody and I always have chats around Make-A-Wish.
My whole family – including Cody – help out at events when we are short on numbers.
Artwork is Cody’s release from the AFL bubble. We thought his art exhibition would go well, but it went even better than we imagined.
The support we got from Make-A-Wish HQ was fantastic. Daniella D’Souza, the Events Manager, she has been massive for me in the fundraising space.
I have learned a lot off her and she has helped me so much in the fundraising space. She has pushed me and made me better at fundraising and I really appreciate that.
Make-A-Wish teaches you to 'live in the moment'
Make-A-Wish is super rewarding for volunteers.
All the volunteers have the same values and the same goals and you come together to achieve the ultimate goal of granting wishes.
I think Make-A-Wish teaches you to take each breath, take each moment, take each day and make the most of it. Don’t take it for granted. It’s living in the moment.
When you see what these kids going through and you have adversity in your life you rethink it and your problems are not that bad.
Volunteering with Make-A-Wish has given me a deep sense of empathy that I didn't expect. Watching these children and their families go through so much, yet still find hope and strength, is incredibly inspiring.
Being part of a team that brings joy and fulfillment to these kids, even for just a moment, is something I’ll never take for granted. It's not only about granting wishes - it's about showing up, offering support, and helping to create positive memories during tough times.
The emotional impact of knowing you're making a real difference is huge.
It's also humbling to be part of a larger community of volunteers and donors who all share a common goal - to bring light into these families' lives when they need it the most.
Wish child in pain puts on brave face
There is some anxiety on wish days because it is like when you are an athlete, you really want to do good on the day.
The build up to the wish is massive and you try and keep it under wraps and a surprise while still keeping the wish kid engaged.
The Wish Coin helps, we tell the kid it’s a special coin and they should keep it. When they understand that the coin means they are getting their wish, their faces light up.
I have two wish kids that I was involved with pass away. The first time it happens, which was Samuel’s wish, that emotion really hits you. It happened really quickly and it got me.
You feel so much for the family and what they are going through. He was a bright and bubbly kid and you wouldn’t have known he was going through something.
I don’t think he told many people outside his family but he told me he only had two months to live.
He was putting on a brave face.
So, to see him get that wish even though he was in pain, was rewarding. I was so happy he had those special moments before he passed.
Learning while in Branch environment
I've learned a lot of useful skills since joining Make-A-Wish, like planning events, reaching out to the community, and building relationships with donors.
Working on fundraising events for Make-A-Wish has shown me how to connect with different people, inspire donors to get involved, and create campaigns that really speak to them.
It's also helped me understand how to manage the details of events, work well with a team, and stay focused on the bigger goal, even when challenges come up.
This Make-A-Wish experience has improved my communication and leadership skills, as I've had to talk to different groups, lead fundraising projects, and encourage others to help out.
The Make-A-Wish volunteers are from all walks of life and all backgrounds. So without Make-A-Wish I wouldn’t have met these wonderful people.
Our Branch has some older people and they have been role models to me.
I think I have also helped these same volunteers with new technology. I have brought a fresh mindset and fresh ideas for fundraising. For them to then give me gratitude and say ‘you were right Jake’ is satisfying.
'Workhorse' always finds time for wishes
My boss at work Yang Huang and the project manager Joseph Fung are fantastic.
They offer me a lot of flexibility. They are super understanding when it comes to Make-A-Wish.
I can take Make-A-Wish phone calls while I am at work.
Another volunteer summed it up perfectly when they said ‘if you want something done give it to a busy person’ and that’s me.
I just find time. I have always been a workhorse, so I just find ways to get things done.
We say at the Branch that there’s a 48 hour window to reply to messages and emails. So I always make sure I get back to people as quick as I can.
I hope when the times comes that I step away from Make-A-Wish that I am remembered by the Branch as someone who turned up when I was needed and did everything to 100pc of my ability.
I do everything 100pc for Make-A-Wish. I want to be seen as a bright and bubbly kid who brought good energy to any group I’m a part of.
I think Make-A-Wish will be a lifelong thing for me and eventually when I have kids I hope they want to be involved with Make-A-Wish. I will always be doing something for Make-A-Wish.
Jake has been a proud volunteer since 2016
