Events · December Mani*Wish
Help us fill the tree for local families this Christmas.
The 8th Annual Mani*Wish · Saturday, December 5, 2026 · 4 to 8 p.m. · Little Bohemia Lodge
Every December, Mani*Wish brings our community together to support area kids and families in need, particularly during the holidays. Every dollar raised stays here, helping local families when they need it most.
The night
Doors open at 4 p.m. at Little Bohemia Lodge, with a holiday buffet from 5:30 to 7 and an open bar all evening. Then the fun: raffle baskets, the 50/50 raffle, a live auction, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and music and merriment with neighbors you see all year and some you only see once a winter.
$80 per person in advance · $100 at the door. All-inclusive pricing covers the buffet and open bar. Mani*Wish sells out every year, so reserve early.
Eight years of Mani*Wish
Mani*Wish began in 2019 as a simple idea: a Christmas dinner at Little Bohemia Lodge where friends could gather and raise money so area families and children could have a very merry Christmas. The early years were modest. Dinner was $25, and the goal was to fill a few families' holidays.
Then the community showed up. Mani*Wish sold out its third year and every year since. More businesses signed on as sponsors, more neighbors donated raffle baskets and auction items, and the night became a tradition on the first Saturday of December.
$9,016 raised in the first season. $80,624 raised in 2025. When this community is asked, it answers.
Where the money goes
In 2025, Mani*Wish helped 29 local families.
The holidays come first. Volunteers shop for and wrap gifts for local kids and families, working with area schools and food pantries to reach the families who need it most.
But Mani*Wish doesn't stop in December. Throughout the year, the fund steps in quietly when a local family hits a hard time, whether that's clothing, a child's activity, or an unexpected bill. There's no application. It's neighbors helping neighbors, as needs come up.
Ways to help
Donate an item. Raffle baskets, gift cards and live-auction items from local businesses and friends make the night.
Become a sponsor. Stocking Stuffer $500 · Elf $1,000 · Rudolph $2,500 · Santa $5,000
Give directly. Can't make it? A gift of any size helps a local family. Give to 545 Foundation.
Volunteer. Solicit donations, assemble baskets, or wrap gifts with us on Monday, December 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Center. Contact us to sign up.
Thank you to our 2025 sponsors
Mani*Wish happens because local businesses say yes, year after year. Thank you to our host, Little Bohemia Lodge, and to:
Aberdeen Restaurant & Bar · Ace Hardware · Allstate Liquor & Wine · Associated Bank · B&B Adventures · Badger Liquor · Bauers Electric · BJS Northwoods Investments · Blue Bayou Inn · Boulder Beer Bar · Century 21 Pierce Realty (Jo Ann Klug) · Chippewa Retreat Resort · Dickenschrauf Plumbing, Heating & Cooling · Dietz · Dixie's Coffee House · Drop Shot at The Outpost · Howling Dog Saloon · Iron Horse Antiques & Art · Lakeside Living · Little Star Garage · Manitowish Waters Lions Club · Manitowish Waters Sno-Skeeters · Manitowish Waters Visitors Bureau · Meggie's · Northwoods Propeller · Pea Patch Motel & Saloon · Pukall Lumber Company · Redman Realty Group · River's Edge Adventure Company · Rob Friedley's Guide Service · Rustic Roadhaus · Smokey's · Sysco · The Lake House · The Spa · To the Nines · Townline Sports · Trig's Village Market Floral · Waters Marine · WoodTrust Bank
And to the many individual donors who give every year. We're grateful for every one of you.
