Highlights
MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF COLORADO AND ELITCH GARDENS SALUTE "KIDS FOR WISH KIDS"
Elitch Gardens opened its gates for free to more than 3,500 students on Wednesday, June 25 to celebrate their fundraising efforts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Colorado’s Kids for Wish Kids program. The Kids for Wish Kids program gives schools and organizations across the state the opportunity to sponsor wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. This year, 51 schools and organizations participated, collecting more than $75,000.
In an opening ceremony featuring the Cherry Creek Dance Team, Kids for Wish Kids program director Bridget Fitzpatrick recognized Trailblazer Elementary, Fort Morgan Middle and Arapahoe High schools as the top three fundraising schools, donating $14,432.39 collectively. Arapahoe High School took top honors and broke their own record set last year, raising $11,740. They raised money for Marcus' wish to go to Disney World through a week of fundraising events including a student/teacher basketball game and a performance by the CU Buffons.
All 3,250 students at Trailblazer Elementary, Fort Morgan Middle and Arapahoe High schools received free admission to the park Wednesday.
Elitch Gardens donated an additional 3,000 discounted tickets to those schools that met the Challenge 25- a competition for all Colorado schools to raise $2,500 in honor of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado’s 25th Anniversary. Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch earned an Honorable Mention nod for raising more than $10,000 in their first year to adopt Danielle’s wish to go to Disney World.
Megan Barber, Elitch Gardens’ spokesperson said, "Elitch Gardens is proud to be a part of Kids for Wish Kids, a program that gives students an outlet to help other kids just like them. We are excited that we can provide these students with a day of fun to reward their hard work."
Wish Kid Nathan attended the all-day fun day, preparing for all of the rides and thrills of his wish to go to Disney World that the Colorado Wildcats Baseball Club made possible. The Colorado Springs youth team was honored during WISH Wednesday’s opening ceremony for collecting more than $6,000 in pledges for every run scored during their 2008 season.
Arapahoe High School wish adoptee Marcus could not attend WISH Wednesday, but he wasn’t too upset about it. Marcus was on his wish in Disney World, fulfilling his dream to “have fun and go on all the rides,” thanks to the money raised by Arapahoe High School.
This was the second year the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado and Elitch Gardens teamed up to honor the fundraising efforts of the area’s top money-making schools on a day aptly coined WISH Wednesday.