ONE WISH AT A TIME
WORLD WISH DAY RAISES AWARENESS FOR MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION Each year the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates the anniversary of the fi rst wish that was granted. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes around the world. These wishes are impactful for the kids that receive them. They give a child an opportunity to experience life outside of their illness. World Wish Day is when Make-A-Wish honors the fi rst wish that created the structure for the foundation. World Wish Day is celebrated every year on April 29. The HSE Make-A-Wish club has been active since 2017. This club promotes the same goals as the whole Make-A-Wish foundation. Co-president senior Luke Andrich and club officer junior Zoe Karner work together along with other officers to raise awareness and money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “The Make-A-Wish organization gives family a sense of normalcy for a while,” Andrich said. “They get to forget about the treatments, pills and disease for a while and get to make a memory with their families.” The HSE Make-A-Wish club works together to fi nd new and creative ways to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish officers are a small group of high school students that are dedicated to raising money for the organization. The club members engage in the club by participating at events and advertising the club. Junior Andrew Kennedy and sophomore Julia Cox are both club members who contribute their time to a admirable cause. “Being a Make-A-Wish club member is important to me because it is such a good cause,” Kennedy said. “The organization can change many kids’ lives with illnesses.” The events the Make-A-Wish club puts on are the most vital part to the clubs fundraising. The haunted house event is the biggest and most successful fundraiser every year. The club members transform Café D into a haunted house that families come and walk through. The holiday concert is another popular Make-A-Wish event. Club members and
other local musicians play in the concert. The last concert Cox sang numerous holiday songs while playing her ukulele. Every event that Make-A-Wish hosts is a step forward towards the club’s goal. “The club’s goal is to raise $10,000 this year,” Karner said. “I believe that we could achieve this goal because we have granted a wish the past two years.” The average cost of a wish is about $11,000. A wish involves providing an experience to a child with a critical illness. This could be getting a puppy or meeting a celebrity. According to the Make-A-Wish Organization, 77 percent of wishes involve traveling and almost half of children wish for a trip to Walt Disney World. The World Wish Day event will help Make-A-Wish reach their goal of granting a wish for the third year in a row. The Make-A-Wish club has already started planning for their World Wish Day event. They are planning on having a car wash and a spirit day to wear to raise awareness for the club. The club is important to the members and especially to the kids the money goes to. “This club is important to me because when I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the Make-A-Wish Organization reached out to my family,” Andrich said. “They provided my family with a wish where we would be able to go on a trip. We were able to be a normal family and make memories when we were going through this treatment.” World Wish Day is beneficial for the Make-A-Wish club and foundation as it provides a day for people to gather and discuss ways to ensure as many children have the ability to have their wish granted as possible. The anticipation of this day helps create a special environment for people to come together and honor the anniversary of the fi rst wish ever granted. Story by Madeline Nelsen.
Luke Andrich, 12
Andrew Kennedy, 11
Zoe Karner, 11
HSENEWS
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