This year’s Wish Week, a highly anticipated fundraiser led by the student government at Erie High School, kicked off with enthusiasm as students rallied together to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. With their sights set on granting the wish of a local five-year-old, Edwin, who is currently battling a respiratory disorder.
Wish Week is a tradition at Erie High School, where students come together to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children facing critical illnesses. This year, the spotlight is on Edwin, a young boy from Erie who is hoping to visit the Walt Disney World Resort—a place that holds special significance for him as a huge fan of Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, and Spidey. Through the various activities, events, and school-wide engagement, students aimed to reach their goal of raising $7,500 to make Edwin’s dream a reality.
Edwin is a brave five-year-old boy currently facing a challenging battle with a respiratory disorder. Despite his condition, he remains full of life, with a deep love for certain things that give him joy and comfort.
“Our Wish Week kid is Edwin; he’s struggling with a respiratory disorder right now. He’s five years old. He lives in our area. His wish is to go to Walt Disney World Resort,” said Kennedy Gorske, the student body president at EHS.
In addition to his love for Disney, Edwin enjoys a variety of other activities and foods. “His favorite color is purple. He loves Sour Patch Kids and I-hop. His favorite shows are Toy Story and Spidey and His Amazing Friends. He loves Mickey Mouse, hence the Disney World wish,” Gorske added. Edwin also enjoys trips to the zoo, museums, parks, or simply playing on his iPad, activities that bring him comfort and joy despite the challenges he faces.
Brooklyn Smith, the student body vice president, explained the purpose of Wish Week, “Make-A-Wish Week is basically a week to kind of get the word out about Make-A-Wish and what they do. Basically, it’s a week to celebrate Make-A-Wish and help them raise money so that they can grant wishes for kids around the world. But we partner with Colorado specifically, so we build a week around the kid that Make-A-Wish gives us.”
The week revolved around the child, Edwin in this case, and activities were designed to reflect his favorite things. “So this year, we’re partnering with Make-A-Wish and celebrating Edwin. So our whole week is themed around Edwin and what he likes to do and what he enjoys. And then all the proceeds go to Make-A-Wish. But it [Make-A-Wish] helps grant wishes for children like Edwin,” Smith explained.
The planning for Wish Week begins months before the event itself, with student government members dividing into various committees to handle different aspects of the fundraiser. Senior Zeke White, a general member of the student government, shared his experience in the planning process.
“We split into a bunch of committees, and we each planned our own events and stuff. I was in the incentives committee, so we did things with announcements and Baby Shark today to raise money. But there was also, like, we reached out to different restaurants, and some of their proceeds went to Wish Week. And we had a volleyball game where we collected donations and did a bunch of events around the school,” White said.
This year, the student government placed an emphasis on diversifying the types of events to increase participation, “We tried to bring in new ideas that could involve everybody. So like, we did a volleyball tournament, and then we had a bake sale and just things to hit different parts of the school so everyone could be involved and participate to help raise money,” said Smith.
This year, the student government also worked hard to advertise the event through a variety of platforms, ensuring a wider reach than ever before. Senior Melanie Bell, the social media manager for the student government, was instrumental in getting the word out. “For advertising, I think this year, we just focused on advertising a lot more than last year and just posting everything we can. We posted on TikTok, and I think our main goal was just to make sure that everyone was aware,” Bell said.
She added that the focus on better advertisement this year helped increase visibility for the event. “Last year, it wasn’t advertised as much, and this year, like a lot more people know about it because of how much we’ve advertised. Posting about the different events and the restaurants especially has really, really helped. And, you know, always sharing the donation link has helped a lot.”
Last year’s Wish Week was marked by a lack of organization, something the student government worked hard to address this year. With new teacher involvement and a more structured approach, the week was more organized, which ensured more success.
“Planning for Wish Week went a lot differently than last year. Last year, it was very unorganized, and we didn’t have the whole class involved. This year, we really focused on having every person involved in a committee and making sure everyone was attending the events,” Gorske shared.
Zeke agreed with the shift in planning this year, “I think having a new teacher really helped that transition. And we’ve definitely done a lot more with Mr. Salzeider as our teacher.”
Ryan Salzeider, a new teacher involved in the planning, agreed with the overall improvement of this year’s Wish Week. “We’re currently sitting right around $4,000, but we’re still waiting on the data from three of our restaurant give-back nights as well as the pep assembly tomorrow,” Salzeider said.
The addition of new events, such as the volleyball tournament, have also played a major role in the success of the week. “We’ve already made what we made last year. And it’s not even over yet,” said Gorske. The expanded scope of the week, involving more areas of the school, has also contributed to its success.
“I think last year people were very lost. People didn’t understand what Wish Week was to begin with. So I think already off the bat, people are like, okay, yes, now I know what Wish Week is and they know how to fundraise and things to help support,” Smith said.
This year’s goal is ambitious: $7,500 to help grant Edwin’s wish. With only a few days remaining in the week, students have made impressive progress toward their goal.
“Our goal is $7,500,” Gorske explained. “Right now I’d say we’re about halfway.”
When asked what sets this year apart from last year, Bell emphasized the difference in engagement and participation. “Based on the numbers, it shows how much better and more organized this year has been compared to last year. I feel like everyone—like more people know about it, and that goes into advertising, but also partnering with the basketball games and just teaching more people about it and what it is has been very significant for this week.”
Gorske was proud of the student body’s collective efforts. “We’ve already made [what] twice as much as last year. So I think also a lot of people know that it’s happening.”
Wish Week is more than just a fundraiser—it’s an opportunity for the entire school community to come together and make a tangible impact on the life of a child in need. With its expanded scope, greater participation, and increased awareness, this year’s Wish Week is a true reflection of what happens when students and staff work together for a common cause.
As the week continued, everyone’s focus remained on the final push to reach the goal of $7,500 and, most importantly, to help make Edwin’s wish come true.
