By Rachel Bowers, Staff Writer
At River Hill, dreams become a reality with the Make-A-Wish club. The club helps to give back to the community by raising money through various fundraising events. Make A Wish is an actual nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. The organization’s goal is to create life-changing experiences for children who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Club sponsor Ms. Gingrich explains that “in the past, River Hill used to sponsor a kid, but ever since Covid they have been having trouble sponsoring a kid.”
The club works on numerous different projects to benefit others. Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, they have activities planned that correspond with the holiday. Members of the club plan to “write down what they are thankful for on hearts and they are going to get hung up all around the cafeteria,” Ms. Gingrich explains.
As of right now, there are around 25 members in the club, 6 of them officers. The officers work together to make sure that the club runs smoothly and efficiently. Event coordinator, Senior Ghilda Babilah talks about her role in the club saying, “I come up with the different games and activities that we do.” She also remarks that she is “so excited for the Valentine’s Day theme coming up.”
Another major role is the treasurer, which is Senior Olya Abarahms’s job. She explains, “I am in charge of the financial aspect of the club. I also find the best equipment and materials that would benefit us the most.”
An important aspect of the club is advertising, this creates publicity and ensures that more people will know about the club and the Make-A-Wish foundation. Senior Lucy Qian plays a big role in creating more publicity saying, “I’m the secretary of the club, so I help coordinate and guide different people. I am also in charge of the attendance, and run the social media accounts like Instagram.” The other officers for the club include seniors Noelle Goitom, Sunny Wu, and Caitlyn Foot.
The main goals for the club are to raise funds and awareness for Make-A-Wish children and build a strong connection within the River Hill community. Ghilda Babilah shares that her favorite part about the club is “connecting with a lot of people because we have volunteer opportunities and it’s really exciting seeing other people participate and raising money.”
Similarly, Olya loves “being able to raise money for other people because it makes me super happy seeing other people happy.” Lucy’s favorite part about the club is “getting to work with all the other officers kinda creating the events and seeing them actually happen and giving other people the opportunity to have service hours and help the children in Make A Wish. Overall, the club is an amazing way to get to know more people and connect with them, while also being able to raise money for children.