Netlore Archive: Email chain letter requesting birthday cards for a young leukemia sufferer in Crystal Lake, Illinois (or Schuylerville, New York) named Shane so he can win a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records is a hoax
Description: Email hoax
Circulating since: May 2007
Status: False
Analysis: See below
Email example contributed by Don and Betty, 22 May 2007:
Subject: Fwd: FW: Make A Wish Come TrueOne of my friends in VA little boy's schoolmates has a special wish for his birthday. He is in the final stages of leukemia. Let's make his wish come true and send him tons of birthday cards. I'm buying 5 tomorrow. Join me in making this little guys wish come true.
This was sent by one of Brendan’s schoolmates. It’s so easy – and we can play a part in making this little boy’s wish come true.
Friends,
The Barrington and Crystal Lake area chapters of Make A Wish Foundation have asked for our help. A little boy in grammar school in Crystal Lake is enrolled in the Make A Wish Foundation. Regrettably, he is in end stages of leukemia. Shane was asked what his wish would be if it could be made possible, and unlike others before him, he didn't ask to meet a famous baseball player or go to Disney World. No, Shane has asked for an unusual opportunity for immortality. He wants to set the Guinness Book of World Records for receiving the Most Birthday Cards.
Shane's birthday is May 30th, coming up. If you can take a moment to send him a birthday card, it would mean a great deal to him and his parents. Please consider passing Shane's request on to family, friends or acquaintances that might lend a card and stamp to help try to make this young boy's wish come true.
Send birthday cards to:
Shane
C/O Canterbury School
875 Canterbury Drive
Crystal Lake IL 60014Thank you for your consideration.
Debbie
Comments: Not to be confused with a different chain letter campaign requesting birthday cards for a 7-year-old Canadian boy named Shane Bernier -- who really exists -- the above message is a hoax. One giveaway is the claim that the Make-A-Wish Foundation supports this campaign, which is false. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has repeatedly stated that it does not participate in chain-letter or other direct solicitation drives.
School district: Stop sending cards!
Moreover, the Canterbury School in Crystal Lake, Illinois disavows the campaign in a message posted on the school district's Website:
Notice: The message about a terminally ill boy at Canterbury School in Crystal Lake School District 47 wanting to collect birthday cards to break a record is FALSE!!! Please do not send birthday cards to the school. Thank you.
Schuylerville Elementary School version is also false
Another variant of the message claims that the terminally ill boy attends Schuylerville Elementary School in New York (email example contributed by Peggy F. on May 15, 2007):
Hi Patricia,I hope you are doing well. I'm at work so I need to keep this short, but there is a local 2nd grader who is dying of cancer and when Make a Wish asked him what he wanted he said he wants 1 million birthday cards for his 8th birthday, which is on May 30th. I have been getting my kids to make cards and many of the teachers are having their classrooms make cards. I know it's the end of the school year in Summerville but I wanted to give you the information in case you or any teachers you know would like to help out by having students make cards. The child's name is Shane and he is turning 8 years old. The message that I got said that the cards should focus on his birthday and not his illness. They can be sent to this address:
Schuylerville Elementery School
14 Spring Street
Schuylerville, NY 12871
Schuylerville school district administrators have also posted a notice correcting the misapprehension that Shane attends the elementary school there. "In actuality, Shane is a Canadian resident with no known family members in the district," the message states. It goes on to say that the school has been "completely overwhelmed with cards" and asks that they be sent to the proper address in Canada.
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Sources and further reading:
School District 47 Crystal Lake - Home Page
Contains a notice disavowing the chain letter campaignSchuylerville Central School District News
Notice disavows chain letter campaign and requests that cards not be sent to the elementary schoolWish Granted ... in the Wrong Place
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), 25 May 2007Canterbury's Tale: Collecting Canadian Boy's Mail
Northwest Herald (McHenry County, IL), 25 May 2007Canadian Boy's Wish Swamps Area Schools
Post-Star (Glens Falls, NY), 25 May 2007Shane Bernier Chain Letter
Netlore Archive, 8 February 2007
Last updated: 05/25/07
