Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses such as progressive, degenerative, or malignant conditions. 

According to the Make-A-Wish website, wish.org,  the foundation started after the Phoenix community helped a boy with leukemia, Christopher James Greicius, become a police officer in 1980. His wish inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish. 

Since the first Wyoming wish was granted in 1985, more than 700 wishes in the state have been granted. 

This year, Wyoming has broken the record for wishes granted in a year, with thirty-seven wishes granted. Wyoming student councils play a massive part in raising money for this charity. Almost all schools in Wyoming host a fundraiser to support the foundation. 

“It impacts Wyoming Make-A-Wish greatly,” student council advisor Mr. Steve Whipple said. “I mean, we fund a full wish every year plus some, and we almost funded 2 full wishes last year. That’s a lot of kids that Powell High School is helping, just on their own.”

At the annual Wyoming Association of Student Councils (WASC) convention, which the PHS Student Council attended, Make-A-Wish had an informative session in which they talked about what kind of wishes get asked for, how much the wishes cost, and how this impacts the children and families enrolled in the program. 

The students also met Carter, a 6-year-old who recently had his wish granted. 

When asked, “Would you like to say anything to them [about your wish]?” He just replied, “Everything.” 

It was apparent how much the wish meant to him. His response sent a powerful message to everyone there. 

“I think that Make-A-Wish is incredibly important to the kids around the state,” sophomore Audrey Johnson said. “I mean, just from how many kids it has impacted, and to Carter, who was at the actual presentation— for them to just have a good moment and just be a kid for a while longer showed the importance of our donations.” 

At the convention, Make-A-Wish awarded Powell High School an award for donating the third-highest amount of all schools in the state. Last year, we raised $11,896.74. In Wyoming, the average wish costs about $7,000. 

“I think Make-A-Wish specifically impacts our student body by helping them to see outside of themselves to help somebody else that’s struggling,” Mr. Whipple said. “And the students and the community have been very generous in that help. So I think it helps them see outside themselves.”