ALABASTER – Mayor Marty Handlon recognized the hard work of a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to grant magic moments to children with chronic life-threatening illnesses by dubbing Monday, Oct. 21, as Magic Moments Day in the city of Alabaster.

Since 1984, Magic Moments has been granting non-medical magic moments to children ages 4-18 with chronic life-threatening illnesses throughout the state.

The program began as a shared idea between two mothers. Together, they were able to make Magic Moments a reality with the blessing of Children’s Hospital and a $500 grant from the Junior League of Birmingham.

On Thursday, Oct. 3, a Thompson Intermediate School student, who is diagnosed with brain cancer, was surprised at school with a magic moment, according to a representative with the organization.

Magic Moments provide children with opportunities such as a family trip to Disney World, meeting a celebrity of choice or going on a shopping spree. They also provide ongoing events to enhance relationships between their staff and families. To date, the nonprofit has provided nearly 5,000 magic moments for children in all 67 counties of Alabama.