A Wishing Place

Each year, the student government at the high school where I teach raise funds to grant a wish for a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This year they worked hard to put on a community carnival, a fund raising dance, as well as weeks worth of lunch activities. (Their favorite was the chicken squares - they sold numbered squares to students then let a chicken loose. The person who bought the square the chicken pooped on won a prize.)

They were able to raise $5,300 and granted the wish of a shopping spree to a teenager named Joseph. Joseph had a great time shopping all day. They picked him up in a limousine and took him to any store he wanted to go to. The main thing he wanted was a Wii. He got a lot of great things and ended his shopping spree by purchasing a puppy!

On Monday, the student government went to A Wishing Place in Murray. We got a tour, learned about how the wishes are declared, carried out and celebrated. They have a very magical place there and you can't help feeling the spirit as you are touched by the stories of these wonderful children.

This is a picture of the room where the children declare their wish. They put it in the "wizard hat" and as soon as they close the lid, music plays and there is a short light show. It is a very magical room and I can only imagine how special that must be for the children and their family.After a child has been granted their wish, they have a star-raising ceremony where they get to choose a star, etch in it, then raise it up to hang forever in the entryway.

If any of you are looking for a project, need a good YM/YW activity, or just want to volunteer somewhere, I strongly suggest looking into doing something with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It is something youth can easily do and something that will touch their hearts.

I also need to commend the students from the high school. They were respectful, listened to their guide, and the boys held the doors open any time we went into a new room. Our guide complimented them on being more respectful than most of the other school groups she has hosted.