8 minute read
MAKING WISHES COME TRUE
The Make-A-Wish Foundation brings hope to children with critical illnesses and their families.
by ANNIE SCOTT
Advertisement
In 1980, Christopher James Greicius, a young boy with leukemia, wanted to be a police officer. His Phoenix, Arizona community came together and made his wish come true. Christopher spent the day as a police officer, rode in a police helicopter, and even received a custom-tailored police uniform. Christopher’s wish was the inspiration for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They have gone on to help grant over 350,000 wishes for children with critical medical conditions.
Make-A-Wish opened its South Dakota chapter in 1984, and merged with the Montana chapter in 2020. Since then, they’ve helped grant over 2,300 wishes for children in South Dakota.
“Every wish begins with a referral from a caring individual,” said Sue Salter, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana. “A common misconception is that a child’s illness has to be terminal in order to receive a wish. A majority of children overcome their disease.”
Last year, Make-A-Wish granted 81 wishes for children in the area, as well as 13 wish assists.
“Wish assists are when children from other chapters want to visit South Dakota or Montana,” Sue said. “Many wishes involve visits to the Black Hills or Glacier National Park.”
Wishes generally fall into one of five categories – I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have, and I wish to experience.
On the Road for Wishes
Poker Run and Charity Ride is one of the fundraisers held in Aberdeen.
MAKE-A-WISH TRIVIA
The most common wish is to visit a theme park, making up over 40% of wishes.
Every eligible child receives a wish!
John Cena holds the record for most wishes granted at over 650.
“Every wish is unique, just like the child that makes it,” Sue said. “I remember a couple years ago, a child wanted to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder exhibit in De Smet.”
Wishes are possible because of donations from businesses, individuals, as well as the many fundraisers that are held each year. There are many events across South Dakota, including Watertown’s silent auction and dinner and Sioux Falls’ summer golf tournament. Aberdeen holds a New Year’s Eve dance every year.
“We all work together to raise funds for children,” Sue said. “The money that is raised in our chapter helps out the children in our area.”
Each wish has a tremendous impact on each child. Many alumni stated that their wish experience contributed to their physical, mental, and emotional health. For many, the wish ended up being a necessary part of their medical treatment journey. Wishes have increased hope, strength, joy, confidence, self-esteem, quality of life, and well-being of children, and they often serve as a successful coping mechanism.
Most important of all, however, is how Make-A-Wish is able to bring families closer together and strengthen relationships with loved ones. The quality time that a wish brings to a family is something that is irreplaceable and priceless. //
Prizes from the
Aberdeen-area
Virtual Auction fundraiser. Many generous community businesses and individuals donated over 55 auction packages. Erosion Fitness’ Katie Gates and
Justin Feickert, along with Ali and Derek Miller, have donated to Make-A-Wish in the past.
Together, we create lifechanging wishes for children with critical illnesses.
– MISSION STATEMENT
MAKE-A-WISH NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE
The Make-A-Wish New Year’s Eve Dance has been held in Aberdeen for over 10 years, and it’s one of the biggest fundraisers for the South Dakota chapter. The event features live music from local and regional artists, as well as a silent auction, a live auction, and plenty of food and drink. This year, the event will start at 7:00 PM at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel. There will be a raffle to win a custom shed from Builders FirstSource. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at Builders FistSource, The Posh Pheasant, and from Make-A-Wish volunteers.
“We’ve been doing this for many years,” said Gloria Dahme. “We try our best to make sure it’s a great time for everyone.”
All of the proceeds raised at the dance will be used to grant wishes for children in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.
“This event has a great volunteer group,” Sue said. “Abereen has done a lot to help wishes come true.” For more information, call Gloria at 605-228-1416.
Lisa Kanizar, Dominika Blum, and Michael Mohammed comprise the staff that oversees the international student exchange program at NSU.
Family Matters
NSU’s Friendship Family Program makes sure that every student feels at home. by ANNIE SCOTT
F
or many young adults, the beginning of a college career is a time of excitement, with a taste of independence while exploring new faces in new places. But with so many changes in such a short period of time, it can also lead to some anxiety and homesickness – especially if the new school in question is halfway across the globe.
Northern State University has a multifaceted program that is able to help alleviate some of those fears for international students. The NSU Friendship Family Program was designed to make international students feel at home by placing them with a host family. While the students still live in the dorms, they are able to visit households, create friendships, and get a real feel for what it’s like to live in South Dakota. The exchange students can meet NSU students, community members, and other families, all while learning more about American culture here in Aberdeen. In return, host families are able to learn about their exchange student’s culture, customs, traditions, and much more.
“For many students, this is their first time being away from their home and families,” Michael Mohammed said. “This program makes things a little less overwhelming.”
At the beginning of a new semester, a survey is sent out to both students and families that are interested in the Friendship Family Program. The survey includes questions such as how many children are in the family, how many pets a family has, faith, interests, and hobbies, and matchups are made based on their answers. Most of the time, host families can choose how many students they would like to take under their wing, depending on how many students are interested in the program.
“We meet the families ahead of time to make sure that students will feel safe,” Lisa Kanizar said. “But we’ve always had great families. Most of them are long-time participants, but we’re always looking for more. Some families are even in the outer Aberdeen area, so anyone is welcome to apply.”
Since each student is different and will have unique needs, it’s up to them and their host family to decide which activities to do and how often to meet. Ideally, families will meet up at least twice each semester. But many families choose to meet more frequently, having weekly dinners to catch up and doing some activities on their own.
“The program gives international students an extra layer of belonging, security, and safety,” Dominika Blum said. “There are a lot of big changes and unknowns when someone studies abroad. They might not know how to do something or where to go. Families can help these students get to places like the doctor’s
I REALLY ENJOY BEING A PART OF THE FRIENDSHIP FAMILY PROGRAM AT NSU. MY WIFE AND I HAVE MADE SOME WONDERFUL CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE. IT HAS BEEN FUN COMING UP WITH ACTIVITIES AND PLACES TO GO WITH OUR HOST STUDENTS. I FEEL LIKE A TOURIST IN MY OWN TOWN! WE LEARN SO MUCH FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE WHERE THEY LIVE AND HOW THEY PERCEIVE ABERDEEN.” – JOHN BLUM.
office or grocery store. For a lot of students, their English skills improve at a much faster rate as well.”
The Friendship Family Program hosts many events during the year, including an introductory event at the beginning of each semester where students are introduced to their families. While there are some events that are just for the families, there’s plenty of chances for the whole community to get involved. Some of their events have included ice skating, movies, picnics, game nights, and even some Aberdeen Wings hockey games.
“Most families keep in touch with their host students after they return home,” Dominika said. “This program creates relationships that last a lifetime. Some of our families end up being ‘grandparents’ when their students get settled down and start their own families.”
“We’re all unique and different, yet the same deep down inside,” Lisa said. “It’s really special to see how these students and families connect.”
“Each year we typically have 36 different countries that end up coming together in the middle of nowhere!” Dominika joked. “They’re able to expose Aberdeen residents to so many new places around the world that they might not get a chance to visit.”
Not sure if being a host family is right for you? Visit their Facebook page @ NSUFriendshipFamily. Or as Dominika advises, “Just do it!” //
Each summer, the Friendship
Family Program hosts a picnic for students and families.
