Wish Week makes dreams come true
RCHS students proudly display the impressive fundraising total achieved on Friday, March 8th during Wish Week’s closing assembly.
Wish Week at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) is an annual event held in March where the Jag nation partners with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado to raise funds for critically ill children’s wishes. Students organize various activities and events like assemblies, a dodgeball tournament, Walk for Wishes, and themed, dress-up days to fundraise. The goal is to grant at least one wish to one child, but RCHS often surpasses the monetary goal, granting wishes to multiple children.
This year, the Jag community came together to support 5-year-old Kiki, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital condition that occurs when parts of the left side of the heart do not develop completely. Her condition has already required her to undergo multiple open-heart surgeries and she will eventually need a heart transplant. Remarkably, in just seven days, RCHS raised $94,921.91 to grant Kiki’s wish: to travel to Hawaii with her family and have a tea party with princesses.
“Kiki is the true inspiration, if she can go through all of what she’s gone through and still just be this happy smiling little kid, then I can do it,too,” reflected sophomore Josie O’Meara (15).
Some of the themed days of the week were Mad Hatter Monday and Teatime Tuesday, ending in a Hawaiian-themed day to echo Kiki’s dream destination. Another tradition is the Dare to Share Your Hair event, where participants donate their hair for a cause. Many area restaurants had a Wish Week night and donated proceeds to the fundraiser.
Each year, RCHS commits to raising a minimum of $10,000, a goal that has been surpassed many times through the collective efforts of students, staff and the community. Since 2010, RCHS has raised more than $825,000 and granted 112 wishes, highlighting a remarkable journey of compassion and unity.
Wish Week is more than just a week on the calendar; it is a powerful movement. The largest single donation may have been $1,500, but it is the widespread participation that truly fuels the initiative.
With each passing year, Wish Week continues to inspire and remind us of the difference we can make when we come together for a noble cause.
“The most memorable moment from this year’s Wish Week was during the opening assembly and watching the interview with Kiki,” said junior Sarah Ament (17). “Hearing that she wanted to become a heart doctor and help other people was so wholesome and the sweetest thing ever.”
The 2024 Wish Week Dodgeball Champions posed with five-year-old Kiki.
The stairs at the entrance to Rock Canyon High School welcome students to Wish Week.
Article and photos by Dani Salas
