Vista Goes Raving Mad
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riday, Feb. 9 was no ordinary day for students at the school, but rather the culmination of a week packed to the brim with energy and support for a single cause. It was Wish Week, a time when the school adopts a child from the MakeA-Wish Foundation and grants any wish they ask through fundraising, events and creativity. This year, Gabby was selected as the school’s Wish Kid, and many organizations worked to put together an experience that would last her a lifetime. Student Leadership, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Be a Good Person (BAGP) Brand partnered to grant Gabby’s wish to be famous by setting up a full-scale rave in the main gym for the student body to attend. Before the rave could get underway, however, Gabby needed to appear on the “Vista Live” talk show set to introduce herself and her family to the student body. The hosts, seniors Val Urquhart and Alex Leavy, warmed up the audience for the superstar’s presence by first interviewing representatives from BAGP and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Leavy and Urquhart entertained the audience with jokes and encouraged each of their guests to leave with a spray of silly string. “It was a great opportunity for me to be apart of how we made Gabby’s wish come true,” Urquhart said. “It really showed me what us coming together
The Day in Photos
Amidst the confetti showers and fog blasts of the rave, senior Savannah Mills raises her cell phone to take a selfie.
Gabby’s personal assistant, senior Rickey Cooper, has his shirt autographed by the star prior to the assembly.
FRIDAY, FEB. 9 Spread by: Gabe Barnard Photos by: Gabe Barnard, Alex Simpson and Lauren Lippert
About The Wish Kid
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as a full school can mean for one person.” When it came time for Gabby to appear in front of her fans, a red carpet was rolled across the gym to clear her a path to the stage. She answered a few questions before being hoisted onto her father’s shoulders and carried around the gym for the students to meet her in person. As the Wish Kid was escorted around the gym, students waved glow sticks and cheered. Finally, Gabby and her entourage made it back to the stage, where the party commenced. DJ Austin Pawelka, a.k.a. Paws the Music, led the rave with his mix of music and included blasts of smoke and confetti to complete the experience for Gabby and the students. Most meaningful throughout the morning though was the unified mindset of the students. The focus was on Gabby and the rave and making her wish come true. The combined effort of the entire school would eventually lead to a fundraising total of $158,024 and the wishes of 21 children granted. “It’s really inspiring for me,” Urquhart said. “Hearing about it is one thing, and then seeing Gabby and being able to interact with this person who has leukemia is eye-opening. it was a great experience.”
he star of the day was Gabby Kovach, an eight-year-old child diagnosed with Pre B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a condition that only two percent of children in the world suffer from. What was truly remarkable about Gabby, however, was her level of sassiness and positive attitude. “You better be aware of my sassiness, I’m always sassy,” Gabby said. When Gabby was picked as the school’s 2018 Wish Kid, she chose a wish that suited her upbeat personality: to be famous. The star had no qualms about getting up on stage for the school’s talk show and rave on Friday, and she unified the entire student body for a single cause in the process. “[My favorite part about Wish Week] is the happiness and excitement you see through the halls and the fact that you are helping someone with a life-threatening disease feel special for one week,” junior Abby Jensen said. Gabby soaked up every moment of the day, from getting her makeup done to dancing on stage to signing autographs for her many fans. Her high profile with the community made each moment a blast for the students, who were thrilled to be in the presence of a superstar.
Sophomore Carter Cingrani and senior Grace Matsey sift through buckets to count the total money raised during the assembly miracle minute.
Senior Ben Shepherd waves the cardboard-cut-out face of senior Conner Staib during the men’s varsity basketball game .
The day Vista made Gabby Famous #makegabbyfamous #MVWishWeek
2018