Ten-year-old Daniel Moretz thinks big. Most children his age would be happy to have the chance to meet and shake hands with the president of the United States. Not Daniel, a heart transplant patient from Augusta, Ga. When the boy was offered the chance by the Make-A-Wish Foundation^®to have his fondest wish realized, he didn't hesitate to say he wanted to be the president for a day. This request was tailor made for this special organization. Founded in 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fulfills the wishes of children fighting life-threatening medical conditions.

Daniel suffered through 11 heart operations and two strokes in his young life before receiving a new heart 18 months ago. But none of it could dampen his enthusiasm for serving as the nation's chief executive for a day.

The logistics of Daniel's wish were mind-boggling. More than twelve government agencies signed on board to assist in fulfilling Daniel's wish beyond his greatest expectations. Since the Foundation was founded, nearly 100,000 children have had their greatest wishes fulfilled. In that time, however, no other child has ever asked to be "President of the United States." After much planning, the date of June 13, 2001 was selected for the "Moretz Administration."

After much anticipation and thorough training, Daniel's day to be "President" arrived. After staying in a "Presidential" suite at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, Daniel and his family had a breakfast meeting to outline his schedule for the day. Each of Daniel's family members participated in his wish by holding high level positions in his administration. Daniel's mother served as Press Secretary. His father and grandfather both served as Advisors to the President. Daniel's brother Lee and sister Morgan both served as Senior Advisors to the President.

Daniel and his family were outfitted appropriately for their special day. Brooks Brothers donated "Presidential Attire" for the entire family. Daniel called his blue suit his "Bush" suit. He wore it with a white shirt and "presidential" red tie.

During the day, Daniel traveled around town by "motorcade" and met with government leaders to discuss fighting crime, tax collection, toy safety and national defense. He even met with officials to advocate on behalf of school children for additional "snow days." Daniel's busy schedule did not preclude him from having a special "Presidential" lunch - a McDonald's double cheeseburger and french fries. Several hundred people who attended a speech Daniel made at the Advisory Board Company, a health care consulting firm in Washington cheered as the President concluded his remarks. The speech topic was a topic close to the President's heart - the importance of organ donation. At each of his stops, Daniel was met by cheering crowds and citizens holding up signs with greetings such as "four more years" and "we love President Moretz." Also at each stop, he was always referred to as "Mr. President."

At one point during his presidency, Daniel was rushed to the Pentagon for a "classified" briefing about a national emergency in the country of "Leoni." Several Generals worked with Daniel in his Commander In Chief role to determine a course of action to save Americans in "Leoni." After much discussion and literally flipping a coin, President Moretz decided to have the Army - instead of the Marines - rescue the Americans in "Leoni."

One of the many highlights of Daniel's day as "President" was laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Daniel was also thrilled when he arrived at the Department of Treasury for a meeting and saw a glass of milk and plate of cookies for him at the head of the table. He also loved viewing "role played" video news coverage of the "Moretz Administration." Several national and local television news personalities offered analysis of Daniel's presidency using phrases like "President Moretz has a remarkable 99 percent approval rating" and "President Moretz is wining praise from political observers for following through with his campaign promises."

In all, several hundred people from more than twelve government agencies and other organizations helped fulfill Daniel's wish. What did Daniel like best about being president? "I liked feeling special and meeting with people from the military," he said. What did he like the least? "He didn't like wearing a tie all day," said his mother, Julie.

Julie summed up Daniel's experience when she addressed a group of people who helped fulfill Daniel's wish at the end of his "day as President." She said, "and, to all of you, how can I say 'thank you' for the kindness you have shown. It is kind of like trying to say thank you to Daniel's heart donor family. It is true they gave the greatest gift OF life but you all gave the greatest gift IN life. You showed a little boy and his family that it's okay to dream and to believe...because wishes do come true."