Cass Forkin is both a passionate visionary and a businessperson who gets things done with her “We can do it” Rosie attitude. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and holds “brotherly love” as the key to winning the game of life. Forkin received her B.S. in accounting and her MBA in Healthcare Administration from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA.

Small beginnings: In March 2002, while having lunch at a diner in Bucks County, PA, Forkin noticed several elderly women counting change to pay for their dinner bill. Forkin anonymously paid the bill for them. Their gratitude for her simple gesture inspired Forkin to found Twilight Wish Foundation on July 1^st, 2003, the first national wish granting organization dedicated to serving the needs of the elderly. Forkin started a national movement with just $711 and a small, but dedicated group of people who believed in the cause.

Today, in our 15^th year, Forkin continues to serve Twilight Wish as the Chairwoman of the Board and national public speaker. Twilight Wish has established 18 chapters throughout the U.S. and has granted over 2,700 wishes to deserving seniors, including 887 veterans from WWII and Vietnam and inspired a national and international movement. Twilight Wish brought awareness of the senior wish stories to hundreds of millions of people who learned about granting wishes to seniors. This seeded the movement to make our world a nicer place to age, one Twilight Wish at a time. Grassroots efforts to international change on a dime!

Big honors: Recently, Forkin also helped our nation bring honor and recognition to the WWII “Rosie the Riveters” by creating the widespread marketing idea promoting the first National Rosie the Riveter Day celebrated March 21^st, 2017, at the Lincoln Room in the Capitol Building in Washington DC. Rosies were invited onto the Memorial Day 2017 WWII parade float in Washington DC for the first time in history. “We can do it!” Forkin was honored to be part of that day and on that float with Mae Krier, Phyllis Gould and Elinor Otto, three original WWII Rosie the Riveters.

Since its inception, Twilight Wish grants approximately one wish every other day in our country and has inspired thousands of others to do the same. To honor and enrich the lives of seniors through wish granting celebrations that connect generations and treat the elderly with compassion, we restore their dignity and bring them hope.We also teach the younger generations the importance of respect and caring for those that paved the path for them and spread “brotherly love” throughout the world.

Forkin is a pioneer of charitable causes and is the national public speaker for Twilight Wish Foundation. Recently, Forkin was awarded 2018 Humanitarian of the Year Award from The Chapel of Four Chaplains in Philadelphia, PA. Forkin is the recipient of many academic, political, business, and community awards, and was voted a national Top Ten Business Woman for the American Business Women’s Association. Forkin has been featured on television shows including “Seeking Solutions with Suzanne,” “Living the Life,” Bill Bradley’s “American Voices” on Sirius Satellite radio. She has been written about in various print media articles including People magazine’s “Heroes Amongst Us,” USA Today, Women’s Day, National Enquirer and Family Circle magazine. Forkin was featured on CNN’s “Impact Your World” and HLN’s “Leaders with Heart.”

Forkin resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bill Belknap, and they have four children, one grandson and a dog named “Rosie the Riveter”.

Brant Lingle joined Twilight Wish as Executive Director in April 2021. He has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector with the last ten spent in senior leadership roles. Lingle graduated from Cairn University with a M.S. in Organizational Leadership. He currently resides in Hellertown with his wife and three children, dog, cats, (and other various pets). Brant is a huge Eagles fan and loves kayaking and walking in nature.

Donna DeQuila received her B.S. from Wagner College in 1979. She has over 30 years of experience as an accountant and office manager, most recently with the Law Offices of William J. Courtney, LLC. DeQuila, who joined Twilight Wish in 2019, oversees the fiscal and administrative activities for the foundation.

Mary Farrell received her B.A. in Advertising from Temple University in 1989. Farrell has more than 10 years’ experience in advertising and public relations. Farrell volunteered for Twilight Wish for one year before becoming a part-time employee. She is currently the Director of Community Relations responsible for public and media relations, grant writing, and social media for Twilight Wish Foundation. Farrell joined the staff of Twilight Wish in March 2007.

Michelle Bowren has enjoyed granting wishes since 2011. As our Director of Wish Management, Bowren is responsible for all aspects of our wish-granting program and assisting our Chapters. Bowren attended West Chester University where she received a B.S. in Education. She enjoys spending time at the shore with her husband and two kids, watching baseball and walking with her dog. She lives in Doylestown, PA.

Randie Duretz joined Twilight Wish in January of 2021 as National Director of Chapters. She has over 35 years of experience as an Activities Director is several long-term care facilities and most recently was Activities Director at Luther Woods Nursing & Rehabilitation. During her time there, Duretz collaborated with Twilight Wish to grant wishes to several of her residents there. In both 1998 and 2018, she was voted Activities Professional of North America by the National Association of Activity Professionals. Duretz, a resident of Ocala, Florida, will be responsible for overseeing chapter management and growth.