About Elisa’s Greatest Wishes
Elisa’s Greatest Wishes was created to honor the memory and wishes of 10 year old Elisa Nelson whose abduction and murder not only made national news, but forever changed life in sleepy little Palm Harbor, Florida. Thirty-three years later, the community came together for a memorial dedication and Elisa’s classmates approached her family about doing something to help them with the emotional scars they endured so many years ago and had yet to heal. Elisa’s classmates were merely children when they had to cope with the horrific news that one of their friends would never sit at her desk in class, giggle in the lunchroom, or swing on the monkey bars at recess with them again.
Donations are tax deductible and can be made to:
Elisa’s Greatest Wishes, 3483 Alternate US 19, Palm Harbor, Florida 34683
Or to https://www.pinellaseducation.org/donate-to-education with the designation “Elisa’s Greatest Wishes”
With the help of the Pinellas Education Foundation, EGW’s dual mission is to first, honor Elisa’s wishes and memory by “helping kids be kids.” This being accomplished by raising money for things such as purchasing books for school libraries, funding scholarships and providing financial support to Girl Scouts, youth athletics, animal charities and organizations that help sick children because it was in Elisa’s nature to help others. Here are some of the organizations that Elisa’s Greatest Wishes has helped to date:
Elisa’s Greatest Wishes 2017 Adopted Charities
Children in Need
- Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
- Make-a-Wish Foundation
- Children’s Dream Fund
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
- Beth Dillinger Foundation “Nourish to Flourish” program providing food for undernourished children
- TherHappy Therapy Services to provide therapy for children with special needs such as Autism
- Suncoast Voices for Children
- Children’s Cancer Center
- Wheelchairs 4 Kids
- HUG – Help Us Gather
Education/Literacy/Libraries
- Pinellas Education Foundation “Take Stock in Children” Scholarships
- Scholarships for Graduating Senior Girl Scouts in the Wai Lani Community
- Elisa Nelson Elementary School Library
- Ozona Elementary School Library
- Brooker Creek Elementary School Library
- Palm Harbor Middle School Library (Elisa Nelson Memorial Fund)
- Palm Harbor University High School Library
- Palm Harbor Public Library ‘s Children’s and Musical Instrument Lending Program
- Autism Inspired Academy
Animal Assistance
Community
- Girls on the Run
- Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (Camp Wai Lani)
- Palm Harbor YMCA
- Palm Harbor Parks & Rec
- Palm Harbor Youth Soccer
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Program
Our second mission is to change the way Elisa is remembered. Internet searches for “Elisa Nelson Palm Harbor” produce over 30,000 results about how she died but there are very few articles discussing how she lived. We would like people to remember her for the dynamic, loving, generous and talented person she was.