Make-A-Wish Founder, Frank Shankwitz, Learned About Heroism Growing Up in Seligman, Arizona on Route 66

Sometimes, or perhaps, always, great and far reaching human kindness starts on a smaller yet no less significant scale. In the case of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, it arguably might not exist but for it's Founder, Frank Shankwitz's experience growing up on Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona. By age 10, Shankwitz had spent years on the road, homeless, with his mother who had kidnapped him. The kindness and mentorship he received working as a dishwasher at Juan Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In set him on a path of philanthropy and success in the air force, as an Arizona Highway Patrol motorcycle officer and homicide detective.

Shankwitz has described Delgadillo, who passed in 2004, as a stand in father figure. In several interviews he has shared how Delgadillo taught him the then novel idea of "turning negatives into positives." When Shankwitz's mother abandoned him in Seligman at age 12, Delgadillo arranged for him to live with a local woman (whom he described as the best cook in town) for $20 a week, giving him $6 a week in profit as a dishwasher. This incredibly touching story hit the big screen in the 2019 movie filmed in Prescott, Arizona, Wish Man (now on Netflix). I dare you to read transcripts of these interviews and not hold back a tear.

As someone who stumbled on this history only recently, after simply passing the Snow Cap on the road several times, honestly, I have been blown away. Combine this with Juan Delgadillo's brother - historian, Guardian Angel of Route 66 and barbershop owner, Angel Delgadillo - who has offered tremendous insights and enthusiasm for Route 66 and it's "American" experience, it's really all quite charming and fascinating. In addition to countless interviews, Angel Delgadillo shared his perspective in the video linked below, which is incredibly endearing and will make you think.

I'm obviously just beginning to scratch the surface of Seligman's history and to understand its role in defining and preserving America's culture, before nationwide franchises and modern transportation. A key piece in this exploration has been learning how these two enterprising brothers helped to shape a community, preserve its heritage and draw an international crowd longing to experience "America."

It seems not much in Seligman has changed, and Angel Delgadillo says he hopes it stays that way. Driving through expecting to see the commercial kitsch, we noticed Seligman appears to be different. It is relatively quiet. There are few hints of the town's influence on the Pixar movie, Cars. The commercial structures on the Route are not blazing with modern neon tributes or contemporary pubs. The town appears authentically historic and through a contemporary lens, simple. Upon much closer inspection, you start to understand and appreciate the living history present on that small stretch of road and how our society, in a constant state of progress, has exchanged convenience for character and community. In a fast paced world where we can traverse sections of the state in mere hours, in Seligman, you must slow down or you nearly miss it; there's a lesson here.