In 1980, Chris Greicius, a 7-year-old boy battling leukemia, had a wish to be a police officer. His Phoenix community joined together to make his wish come true. This remarkable act would ultimately inspire the founding of the Make-A-Wish® Foundation, which has granted wishes to hundreds of thousands of children battling critical illnesses.
One of those wishes recently came true right here in Edina. “Our marketing manager, Summer Stieglbauer, used to work with Make-A-Wish, and she inquired to see if there were any projects that we could help with,” says Hayden Northup, production manager with Twin Cities (TC) Siding and Roofing.
Make-A-Wish Minnesota did indeed need help granting a wish for a little girl living in Chanhassen. “Ada is eight years old and wanted to have a Spy Tree House, which is very unique and exciting for us,” says Victoria Schrantz, its director of marketing and communications.
When Summer presented this wish to Hayden to see if it was something the company could accomplish, he immediately said yes. He also knew his team would be on board.
“I've always felt strongly that companies need to do their part within the community that supports them,” says Hayden. “From the moment this project was brought to us on January 16, 2025, it took 124 days of determination, planning, coordination, and heart to bring it to life, culminating in five incredible days of on-site construction. During that time, we poured in more than 285 combined labor hours and over 100 combined hours of planning and coordination - all freely given, all fueled by purpose.”
Ada knew exactly what she wanted; she even drew a picture of her wish. “We put an escape hatch in the floor so she could hide it underneath a carpet square,” he says. “Then, we added a ladder rope that drops down from the ceiling of the inside of the structure, which is elevated about 10-feet, so she can drop right down into her backyard, which looks out onto a beautiful prairie.”
Hayden and the team also learned that Ada loved looking at the stars through her telescope, but there was an issue with having an open window. “She's allergic to bugs, so we put a skylight in the ceiling so she could look out with her telescope,” he says.
While Twin Cities Siding and Roofing has done other team-building experiences in the past, this one, says Hayden, was the most impactful. “Ada is one of the most incredible kids I've ever met, and throughout the process, we kind of treated her as our project manager. She was just so excited, and every time she got off the school bus, she would run as fast as she could to see the progress. Everybody on the team got a chance to meet her, talk to her, and see how their efforts were impacting her and her family.”
Adds Victoria, “This wish provided a lot of hope, something to look forward to throughout her [medical] journey, and now that it's come to fruition, it's a way of celebrating everything that she was able to fight through and being on the other side of it. Now she has this incredible new space that she can enjoy with her friends and sister, and get to be the best spy she can be in her very own tree house. It was great to be able to work with local community partners.”
It really did take a village. While another company built the structure, the TC team handled everything else. “Using very high-quality materials, we provided roofing, siding, windows, a door, skylight, and a catwalk with a deck,” says Hayden. “It's a beautiful structure, and we all came together and got it done.”
He encourages others to get involved, either with Make-A-Wish Minnesota or with other organizations that support the community. “When customers invest in us, we want them to know that we're investing right back into their community.”
While medical professionals work hard to help children going through critical illnesses physically, Make-A-Wish helps with the psychological part. “We get to provide some additional hope, to enjoy something else to think about other than what they're going through medically,” says Victoria.
Make-A-Wish Minnesota grants, on average, 250 local wishes a year. “It takes a lot of different kinds of wish makers to make these wishes possible,” she says. “We can't do what we do without community members and organizations coming together to help make these wishes come true.”
To find out how you or your company can help bring a smile to a child’s face, go to mn.wish.org, and to learn more about Twin Cities Siding and Roofing, go to TCSidingAndRoofing.com.