Motivated by a common interest in raising awareness about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Make-A-Wish club makes an impression at Algonquin through student-led fundraisers, which directly support the organization. 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation has helped thousands of children with terminal illnesses by granting more than 550,000 life-changing wishes since 1980. Club president and chapter co-founder junior Gabriella Moore brought the foundation directly to Algonquin two years ago. Driven by passion and personal experiences, Moore leads the community-focused club while raising awareness through events and fundraisers. 

“Being able to educate and inform people about what the Make-A-Wish Foundation is, is important, and I find that people who know what the mission of the foundation is are more willing to donate or help out,” Moore said. 

Before she knew she wanted to create a club around Make-A-Wish, Moore was personally affected by the foundation, witnessing first-hand its positive impact on thousands of children.

“I used to figure skate and was on a team where one of my teammates had an illness,” Moore said. “They later discovered that it was a tick-borne illness, and she was in a coma for almost a year. She had a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, one of the things that made my sister and me want to start this club.”

Moore was driven by a family friend who worked at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who suggested she start a Make-A-Wish club at Algonquin. Now, Moore plans to expand the club’s involvement with the foundation through events such as a hockey game. 

“We found out that Make-A-Wish has events through their foundation,” Moore said. “This year, the dates didn’t work out with the people in our club, but we want to try to get the event in on our books earlier for next year so that we can do more things to make the club a community within our school.”

Initially started by Moore during her freshman year with her older sister, class of 2024 graduate Allison Moore, the Make-A-Wish club holds onto its core value of making a difference in the community.

“Some of the fundraisers that we’ve done, both years, were a raffle basket at the beginning of the year, and then we did a candle fundraiser around Christmas time,” Moore said.”[The candles] had kids on them, and what their wishes that were granted were.”

While Moore spends her time in the club coordinating ways to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation, roughly 30 active members contribute to the club’s success through creative initiatives that make a difference. Last year, the club organized a raffle basket fundraiser, announcing the winners during the pep rally. 

Make-A-Wish club adviser and World Language teacher Pauliny Smith shares similar goals and values, creating an optimistic environment for everyone involved.

“In a world where it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important, these fundraisers ground everyone; it shows that we all need to support each other,” Smith said. 

Before starting at Algonquin, Smith knew she wanted to connect meaningfully with students. Now, advising the Make-A-Wish club has allowed her to find a position in the community to spread awareness and positivity. 

“I hope that within the next year, we can build and reach more people to try and get more people involved because [the Make-A-Wish Foundation] does affect everyone, and you never know what someone is going through,” Smith said. 

While the Make-A-Wish club only recently started, Moore is optimistic about the future and is looking forward to the impact it can make. 

“We’re a nice community of people who are trying to help raise money for a good cause, and not only is it something good to do in your free time, but it’s also for a good cause,” Moore said. “People want to join clubs for college, but I think it’s also important that people are [joining clubs] for a good cause.”