Max Santamaria
Founder/President
power of sports, particularly basketball, in shaping character, fostering teamwork, and instilling resilience.
The first time I touched a basketball, I was in the 1st grade. I was determined to make a basket all by myself. I took a deep breath, focused on the hoop, and let the ball fly. It sailed through the air, and I held my breath as it bounced off the backboard and circled the rim before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish!
With each shot, I could feel myself getting better. Sometimes I missed, (I missed A LOT), but I didn't give up. I kept trying until I got it right. It felt amazing to see the ball go exactly where I wanted it to go. I want every child to have something that they love.
Hello. I am Max Santamaria, and I am the founder of Swish Wish Foundation. Basketball has been one of my passions since forever. I experienced firsthand the transformative
Charlie Tahler
Vice President/Director of Communications & Marketing
To this day, I still use basketball to find happiness and a sense of belonging.
When I got the opportunity to join Swish Wish, I immediately accepted due to my passion for helping others around me. Since I was little, I have participated in community service opportunities and other ways to benefit others.
Each year I got older, I continued to play sports while ensuring I could do anything to help people in need. This could be giving money to the homeless or donating to charities and nonprofits. I am thrilled to be working at Swish Wish Foundation!
Hello. I am Charlie Tahler, the Vice President, Director of Communications, and Director of Marketing of the Swish Wish Foundation. Ever since I was little, I have loved the game of basketball. I like how I can play and bond with my friends.
Ethan Hollis
Treasurer and Director of Operations
Hi I’m Ethan, I am the Treasurer and Director of Operations. Sports have always been an important part of my life since I was a baby. I grew up watching my sister play soccer and years later played soccer myself.
I thought I loved soccer because my sister had, and I was comfortable with it and it was familiar to me. Soon after, my parents signed me up for a basketball league, luckily I had friends in that league yet I was very nervous and uncomfortable. I had loved to play sports, but I had never played “competitively”.
After playing for a season, I realized that I wasn’t as good as everyone else. Although I immensely wanted to quit and stick to soccer, I still wanted to play basketball. I knew I wasn’t the best, but that’s what made me want to play even more.
I realized the whole time I had been playing soccer I was playing because of the connection to my sister, but never for me. Basketball helps me as a kid learn something new, and to do it for myself. I’ve been playing basketball since I was seven, and I want to help other kids like me experience a fun activity and sport and to do it for themselves. I am excited and thrilled to be working at Swish Wish Foundation!