By Reese Meister
The Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Make-A-Wish club recently raised enough money to grant 13-year-old Avah’s wish to visit Hawaii with her family. A member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation presented them with a plaque and update on the wish on May 2. Granting a wish requires $7,500; the last time the club reached this achievement was six years ago in 2018.
The FVHS club is associated with the nonprofit organization Make-A-Wish, which aims to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses in communities around the world. The foundation relies on volunteers and groups such as the FVHS Make-A-Wish club to support their cause and grant wishes.
“[The Make-A-Wish Foundation is] the middleman between our money and granting a child’s wish,” FVHS Make-A-Wish president and junior Alek Doan said. “So, pretty much either a parent or any adult or the medical team of the child [can] contact Make-A-Wish, and if their … diagnosis fits the bill, kind of like if they have cancer or any other life-threatening condition, then they are suitable for a wish.”
Make-A-Wish categorizes the wishes into five different categories: to be, to meet, to have, to go and to give. After the foundation determines that the child is eligible for their wish to be granted, interns or volunteers will communicate with them to understand their dreams or aspirations, and the wish coordinators do their best to turn the wish into reality.
Because the FVHS club contributed enough money to grant a child’s wish, a representative from the foundation came to congratulate and thank them in person during lunch. They also revealed the specific wish that the club’s money would grant.
“We granted our wish to a 13-year-old girl named Avah, and she was diagnosed with cancer,” Doan said. “Her wish was to spend time with her family at the beach. And so … she went to Cheesecake Factory to have a dinner with their family, and then there that’s when they told her that ‘Hey, you’re going to be going to Hawaii with your family.’”
The plaque presented to the club provides details on Avah’s experience, including her opportunity to visit beaches, attend a luau and swim with dolphins. It also informs that Avah resides in nearby Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Outside of granting wishes, Doan notes how the club’s focus on volunteer service allows them to connect with the community.
“As a club, we do offer a lot of volunteer service,” Doan said. “This is a great way for us to connect with our community and to provide students with an opportunity to do service.”
However, the club must find ways to raise money for wishes, so they often plan fundraisers including bake sales, car washes and food fundraisers. Because so much time and effort goes into granting a wish, Doan expresses his gratitude for all of the club members’ contributions toward granting Avah’s wish.
“I personally feel super proud of the whole entire club because we’ve worked super hard for this goal,” Doan said. “I also want to give a big thanks to the previous years for especially trying their best to … set up this wish and make sure that, at least in my year, it’s a smooth, straight line to grant a wish because you have to coordinate with [the foundation].”
