Masha Benitez raises for Make-A-Wish another way

Not only did thousands pack the boardwalk and sand Sunday, but people packed into the Bright Eye Beer Co., on Park Avenue, to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation another way.

While participants wanted to raise funds for the foundation that helps fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses, a major draw was a Long Beach resident who in 2022 underwent a double lung transplant: Masha Benitez.

Benitez has been collecting for Make-A-Wish since she was 5, two years after she was adopted from Russia, where she was born to a woman who had to give her up, by a Long Beach couple. Over the years, she has said, she has collected over $130,000 for the foundation.

Masha headlined the fundraiser there last year as well. This year, another nice turnout will certainly benefit the foundation.