Students at Alexander Robinson will be making a sick little girl’s dream come true this year.
After raising $2,783.06 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of B.C. and Yukon, they learned that they will be sending an 11-year-old girl suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), to see Glee in concert in Toronto and to also meet the cast.
SMA is a progressive condition that causes the body’s muscles become weaker as time passes until a person is unable to hold themselves up, making it difficult to deal with the most basic necessities of life.
Alexander Robinson students collected change in star-shaped banks starting at the beginning of the school year and finishing on April 29, World Wish Day – the day the foundation granted its first wish.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children ages of three to 17 whose lives are threatened by a medical condition.
Sixteen classes at Alexander Robinson participated in the fundraising event for the Kids Change Star Bank Program.
The program, in its second year, is geared towards elementary school children, teaching them how they can make a difference in someone else’s life. Students learn the value of doing something positive for another child in need and also what it’s like to save for a desired goal, like a wish.
“The program is growing by leaps and bounds, but we’d love to have more Maple Ridge elementary schools on board next year,” said coordinator Kim Fujisawa. “The ultimate lesson in empathy is invaluable and complements what the teachers are already doing in the classroom.”
As a thank you to the students, the star shaped banks are theirs to keep.
Alexander Robinson has already signed up again for next year.
• If your elementary school would like to participate in the program, contact Kim Fujisawa at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 604-688-7944, before Aug. 1.