Community Engagement

Paragon Bank Grants 21st Wish with Make-A-Wish Mid-South

05-28-26

Paragon Bank worked with Make-A-Wish Mid-South to grant 18-year-old Joelle her wish of visiting Romania and seeing Peonari Citadel in person. This is the 21st consecutive year Paragon has worked with Make-A-Wish Mid-South to grant the wish of a local child or teen. The ceremony took place Monday, May 11, at Paragon Centre, located at 5400 Poplar Avenue.

“Paragon’s mission is to not only serve our customers, but to be deeply invested in all the communities we serve,” said Robert Shaw, President and Chief Executive Officer at Paragon Bank. “Make-A-Wish has been one of our core community partners for more than 20 years now. We were thrilled to not only sponsor Joelle’s wish, but to bring our own special spin to the wish reveal.”

Paragon team members recreated an episode of Hollywood Squares, renamed Paragon Squares, for Joelle to compete in. Nine staff members acted as celebrity contestants, all while dressed up according to Joelle’s favorite things. Two additional staff members acted as the host and other contestant. Categories and questions all revolved around things Joelle liked, including the television show Supernatural, Greek mythology, X-Men comics, the color orange and more.

Joelle won two games out of three, and “vampires” from across pop culture granted her wish to see Peonari Citadel, the home of Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The “vampires” were members of Paragon’s Executive Management team.

“Joelle was an amazing “contestant” during her wish,” said Jon Bragg, First Vice President — Relationship Manager, and alter ego of “Jonny B,” the emcee. “She was incredibly knowledgeable about all of our categories, and she loved the deep dive we did into some of her favorite subjects. It’s always incredible seeing the look on our wish child’s face when their wish is granted, and we were especially thrilled that Joelle’s energy matched our own. We know they’re going to have a great time in Romania!”

As part of the bank’s Assisting the Community Through Service (A.C.T.S.) program, Paragon employees donated their time and efforts to prepare for and take part in the event. The ACTS community engagement program provides every Paragon team member 40 paid hours a year to volunteer with the favorite charitable organization. In 2025, Paragon served 119 community organizations, and worked a total of 2,960 hours. Since 2008, Paragon team members have spent 22,729 ACTS hours in service to our communities.

“Joelle’s wish celebration showcases what Paragon Bank does best: true community investment,” said Gretchen Klobucar. “When they sponsor a wish, they elevate the standard for joy, compassion, and wholehearted support a wish child and their family.”

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