Neshannock High School students were recently invited to visit the Make-a-Wish Foundation Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia headquarters in Pittsburgh. The invitation served as a celebration of our Extreme Leadership representatives’ efforts in raising funds for Make-a-Wish through MORP, as well as an opportunity to learn more about the Foundation and its widespread, positive impact on others.
Extreme Leaders Nate Rynd and Chloe Maalouf were joined by Director of Educational Services Jenny Flannery and NHS Seniors Ella Kosior, Xan Kwiat, and Brianna Mastropietro for this special trip. Our group was led on a tour of the headquarters by Make-a-Wish Development Coordinator Jake Seavy. Not only did he show our students the ins and outs of their facility, including the toy closet for visiting children and their siblings, he also talked about the types of wishes they grant and how each wish is made possible.
Our group learned that there are five types of wishes – “I wish to have,” “I wish to meet,” “I wish to be,” “I wish to give,” and “I wish to give” – and each wish costs approximately $5,000 to grant. Our visit concluded with inspirational videos and a tour of the “Wall of Wishes” in the conference room. The wall displays the first name, age, hometown, and wish of each child who has been granted a wish through their headquarters in Pittsburgh. These final moments of the trip were both humbling and inspiring.
Neshannock Township School District was awarded membership in the “Wishpartner Club” in recognition of this year’s efforts. We hope to earn membership into the “Wishmaker Club” in the 2023-2024 school year, which would mean that we are able to fully fund a wish for a child living with critical illness.
While our eyes were teary as we departed the thirty-seventh floor of Gulf Tour, our hearts were full. We cannot thank Jake Seavy and the Make-a-Wish Foundation Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia team for hosting us. What an incredible experience!
