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Zone 17
No. 13 Vol. 11
www.mypaperonline.com
June 6, 2017
MHS Raises Funds For NJ’s Make A Wish Foundation
M
By Dawn M. Chiossi ontville Township High School is raising funds for the Make a Wish Foundation of New Jersey. The Make a Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children diagnosed with life threatening medical con-
ditions and makes it their mission to help. The folks there believe that one wish can change lives. Granting a wish, fostering a dream or ambition is so much more than giving a gift; it is about giving hope. There is power in a wish. A simple wish can create
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the most wonderful of ripple effects: It can empower sick children; it can give them the strength to handle what challenges lie ahead; it can give them back carefree joys; it can create hope and resilience for the children and loved ones. Perhaps the best of all, a wish can resonate. Sometimes a wish can even inspire strangers such as the Montville Township High School Make a Wish club. This extremely popular club has approximately 160 students from all grade levels as members. Affiliated with the New Jersey Make a Wish Foundation, MHS Make a Wish Club turns the thought of seriously ill children upside down: they envision empowering steps and take action. Armed only with a desire to help and make a difference in the lives of Make-A Wish- children, the members of this extracurricular club enthusiastically raise funds for the Foundation. As Advisor Wendy Zwoboda remarks, “It’s all about raising money for this wonderful cause.” Funds, donations and amounts vary, but the goal is always the same: to donate even more to the Make a Wish Foundation, all just to give children a chance at a wish. Always searching for new and creative ways to raise the money, the club’s calendars are filled
with bake sales, restaurant nights, fundraisers, clothing drives, candy sales, holiday candy cane sales and so much more. Some of their successes include selling their own T-shirts at school. Created with the Make a Wish logo, they even sell them online. Impressed with their generosity and spirit, Michael Dominick, director of Communications for Make a Wish NJ, can’t say enough about the MHS’s commitment to the organization. “This is great,” he enthuses. “It’s inspiring, compelling. A teenager’s life is busy. They have clubs, they have jobs, but this is so selfless. It’s kids helping kids.” Zwoboda adds, “We have kids from every walk of life, from athletes to artists. They join because they want to do good things in the world and make a difference.” The energy of the wish can even touch the masses,
even inspire communities. Tirelessly working to raise money, the club gets the community involved to embrace this worthy cause. Often, the club runs an event called Can Shakes, donations collected outside of stores and restaurants just by holding out a can. At one time, Can Shakes alone collected approximately $100. Restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen eagerly give a percentage of sales to Make a Wish. Additional restaurants that have participated in this wonderful cause include Chipolte and Buffalo Wild Wings. Zwoboda praises everyone involved. “I am so grateful,” she says. “Everyone from the school, to the administration to the community has been so supportive. “I just am so blessed. This is a great group of boys and girls from grades from nine-12. It’s all about them. It’s wonderful.” Dominick is overjoyed with the ripple effect he
sees. “Everyone wants to be part of something good,” Dominick remarks. All they have to do is ask.” The MHS’s devotion to the Make a Wish Foundation is limitless. They are even thinking about the wish kids on graduation day. Their latest special fundraiser entails that when a $5 donation is made to Make-a Wish, a graduate’s name will appear in the school’s marquee. The Make a Wish Foundation of New Jersey was founded in 1983 and has been granting more than wishes to gravely ill children-they grant hope. Now in its fourth decade, its generosity and hard work have helped more than 9,000 children NJ alone. Dominick, who has been involved with Make a Wish Foundation for seven years, states he was simply, “moved by the mission of Make a Wish” continued on page 2