A Thanksgiving-inspired taco created with 15-year-old Collin is helping raise money for Make-A-Wish Utah. The Smoked Taco in American Fork developed The Gobbler with him and is offering it through December, American Fork Citizen reported.
The restaurant donated 50% of The Gobbler’s sales to the nonprofit during the first week of November, according to the report. Customers can also choose $1, $3 or $5 checkout donations. The reported half-of-sales offer applied only during that first week; the taco’s menu availability through December does not mean the same donation rate continues.
National transplant figures offer context, not a personal timeline
National data show the scale of pediatric kidney-transplant activity, but cannot establish how long Collin—or a child in Utah—will wait. The OPTN/SRTR 2024 Annual Data Report: Kidney says 1,232 pediatric candidates were added to the waiting list nationally in 2024, a record. It also reports 832 pediatric kidney transplants that year: 601 from deceased donors and 231 from living donors. Those figures count additions to the list and transplants performed; they do not describe the same group of children or determine an individual’s wait.
The report also says the national number of pediatric candidates listed before age 18 rose 37.4% over the decade, from 2,262 in 2013 to 3,109 in 2024. That increase describes the size of the candidate pool, not how long children typically wait or Collin’s prospects.
A fundraiser built around Collin’s interest in cooking
The restaurant approached Make-A-Wish Utah about connecting its kitchen team with a child who enjoys cooking, according to the American Fork Citizen account. Collin, who was born with kidney disease, has 30% kidney function and is preparing for a transplant, the outlet reported. He helped develop The Gobbler and was named an “Official Smoked Taco Creator.”
Collin is also awaiting a wish of his own, which he plans to receive after his transplant. He is considering cooking lessons in Greece or another hands-on learning experience closer to home, according to the report. The national transplant statistics do not indicate when his transplant will take place.
The campaign adds to other fundraising partnerships for the Utah chapter. More than 230 Utah children were waiting for a wish in March 2025, according to American Fork Citizen; that dated figure is not a current count. The report also described Jersey Mike’s annual March Month of Giving partnership with the chapter, which began in 2016.
The Smoked Taco’s checkout prompts offer another way to contribute, while The Gobbler remains on the American Fork menu through December. The reported 50% sales donation was limited to the first week of November.
