Colonial School District Highlights PW Make-A-Wish Club

Press release from the Colonial School District:

December 7 2020

Plymouth Elementary School (PE) students’ holiday wish lists and letters to Santa will help make wishes come true for children with critical illnesses — through the work of the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PW) Make-A-Wish Club.

Plymouth Elementary School students Brynn Tenthoff and Riley Stocchi dropping off their holiday wishes.

“I got a chance to look at some of the letters written by the students. A lot of them asked Santa for good health for others and for coronavirus to end so others can get better,” said Lizzie Felgoise, president of the PW Make-A-Wish Club, who led the project. “This really touched my heart and showed me how generous and kind people can be.”

Through the Believe Campaign, Macy’s department stores donated $2 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for every letter or wish list completed. With the help of the Plymouth Elementary students, the PW Make-A-Wish Club collected 167 letters, before cutting the campaign two weeks short with the county-wide school shutdown surrounding Thanksgiving.

“Lizzie was a Plymouth student, so this is really special for us to support her,” said PE Teacher Michelle Weidamoyer, who taught Lizzie in kindergarten.

An inspired start for the club

As a Make-A-Wish recipient herself, Lizzie founded the PW Make-A-Wish Club with her older brother last year. While at a routine cardiology appointment for a heart condition in 2017, she found out that her pacemaker had stopped working with no warning and that she would need surgery within the week to save her life. This was when she also discovered that she was eligible for Make-A-Wish and made the request to meet the one-armed surfer Bethany Hamilton.

“Her story inspired me, because she had so much struggle in her life but was able to overcome it and still make her dreams come true,” said Lizzie. “Instead of focusing on the pain and struggle I was about to endure, I focused on how magical my wish was going to be; but it was better than I could have ever hoped. When I was out of surgery, I immediately wanted to start preparing for my wish. I told my physical therapist that when I got to Hawaii, I wanted to push up on the board and surf a wave with Bethany. My wish pushed me to want to get better, and I want to help other kids in our area have the same incredible experience.”

What's next for the PW Make-A-Wish Club

The PW Make-A-Wish Club is currently selling club sweatshirts and holding monthly restaurant nights, with the next event being a December 16 fundraiser at Fingers, Wings and Other Things on Ridge Pike. They hope to hold bigger events in the late spring once COVID-19 is under control.

This press release was produced by the Colonial School District .The views expressed here are the author’s own.