Make-A-Wish Ambassador Jimmy Briaddy and his mother Minda Briaddy smile Tuesday at the Enterprise. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

SARANAC LAKE — Last year Jimmy Briaddy had his wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Now for the holiday season, he’s looking to give back, serving as ambassador of the foundation for northeastern New York.

On Dec. 7, Jimmy, 9, presented the foundation’s campaign to his fourth-grade classmates at Petrova Elementary School, talking about his cystic fibrosis and his experience having his wish granted.

“Our goal is to raise $1,000 dollars to give to Make-A-Wish,” the Saranac Laker said. “The stars mean a lot because to every kid it represents something. It helps build up Make-A-Wish, make them a strong charity, world-wide.”

The Make-A-Wish foundation, which grants children living with serious illnesses a wish, is in the middle of its holiday Adopt-a-Wish donation drive. The money raised goes to help kids like Jimmy have their wish granted.

Stars can currently be bought at Little Italy and GoFish! Thrift Shop. When a shopper at those stores buys a star at checkout “they’re supporting it by giving money, so Make-A-Wish can have money, so that they can keep doing what they’re doing,” Jimmy said.

“If more businesses would like to host, that would be great,” said Minda Briaddy, Jimmy’s mother.

Jimmy kicked off the Adopt-A-Wish campaign last month at the Champlain Centre mall in Plattsburgh. A booth is set up at the mall collecting donations for the foundation for the duration of the holiday season.

“One of the things I’ve noticed since Jimmy did his Make-A-Wish trip, he would’ve never done an interview like this a year ago. He was very shy,” Minda said. “Now he’s gotten to the point that he can stand up in front of his whole school and talk about something so private.”

“My wish was to go to Disney World in Florida,” Jimmy said, “and Legoland, too, because it was all in Orlando, Florida.”

While there, Jimmy and his family stayed at Give Kids the World Village, a nonprofit resort that provides free housing to kids fulfilling their wishes.

“It’s basically like a mini-town, and there’s all kinds of fun stuff,” Jimmy said. “There’s a huge outside pool; there’s a carousel, a town hall — it’s really cool.”

Jimmy said the best part is a large tower in the village, which stores the names of every child that’s stayed there on little stairs.

“You can write your name on one of these clear, plastic, yellow stars,” Jimmy said, “and then you put them in a stump. And then a fairy puts them somewhere inside the tower. And they will stay there.”

Minda said the foundation is always looking for kids who qualify for Make-A-Wish, as well as volunteers to be wish granters who’d like to man the booth at the Champlain Centre.

“I think that Make-A-Wish has given him more than a wish,” Minda said. “It’s really given him –”

“Courage.” Jimmy said.

If you’d like to get involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, contact wish granter Loretta Cappiello at 518-570-6257.