Above: Marlon Valentine, 4-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient, arrives sst his MJ themed party Aug. 24 in Calistoga, California.
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — “You wanna be tough, better do what you can, so beat it,” blared over the sound system Aug. 24 at the Tucker Farm Center in Calistoga, California, in preparation for a blast-from-the-past party for 4-year-old Marlon Valentine, Michael Jackson fanatic and Make-A-Wish recipient.
Airmen from Travis Air Force Base were on hand to help make Marlon’s wish into a reality. Marlon has acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
He is known at the Children’s Hospital Oakland as the “Michael Jackson boy” because he and his brother, Ivan, 3, and sister, Angelina, 8, would dance to Jackson’s music during his hospital visits, said Jennifer Wilson, Make-a-Wish marketing and promotions manager.
“When Marlon was asked about his wish, he replied without hesitation, saying he wanted a Michael Jackson themed party,” Wilson said.
For the past two months, approximately 40 people, including military members, attended dance practices inside a Travis Air Force Base hangar to help Marlon’s wish come true.
“The practices were around two hours long every Sunday,” said Airman 1st Class Vincent Dahilog, 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment apprentice. “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it because it was for a good cause.”
Choreographed dances to songs such as “Beat It” and “Thriller” were the highlights of the party. There was a decorate-a-cookie table with Jackson’s iconic glove-shaped cookies, a table with individual bags filled with popcorn playfully labeled “King of Pop” and Marlon had his own personalized chair.
Source: vallieegirl67 / Poli Bruckner / All Things Michael
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