Highlands Ranch High School makes wish come true

Students raise more than $25,000

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

During Highlands Ranch High School’s sixth annual Wish Week, students and faculty were able to make 9-year-old Beckett’s wish of going to Lake Powell come true. rough the Make A Wish Foundation, Beckett, his siblings Aidan and Vera, and parents Catarina and Ross experienced a week full of fun, emotion and support.

“Just the rst day when we came in and all the kids stood up and were cheering for him, that was huge and super emotional,” said Catarina.

roughout the week, Highlands Ranch High School raised more than $25,000 for Beckett and his family.

Beckett was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2020. In addition to COVID-19 adding more challenges, the family had to adapt to a new normal. Beckett is expected to be done with treatment in April.

“To have this experience at the tail end of that, it’s so awesome,” said Catarina. “You had the really hard and sad stu and now we’re ending it with a positive and magical experience.”

After watching a Youtube video of people getting launched o a blast bag into a lake, Beckett’s wish is to go to Lake Powell and do water activities.

In addition to a black light dodgeball tournament, students took part in teacher incentives to raise money for Beckett. When students raised a certain amount, a couple of teachers dyed their hair blue, got spray tans and wore a chicken costume for a day.

Dangerously cold weather rolled into Douglas County and around the Denver area at the end of January, potentially a ecting the metro area’s annual Point in Time count. When outdoor conditions are so harsh, unhoused people might

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