(Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District)
A 5-year-old boy with leukemia was granted his wish for a backyard “paradise” complete with a swing set, rock-climbing wall and water slide, thanks to Lockhart Elementary School’s fundraising campaign that raised more than $4,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The annual tradition is the biggest fundraiser for the school and, at 26 years, is the longest-running school fundraiser for the foundation.
Each fall, sixth-grade teacher Donald Bresnihan organizes a walk-a-thon where students raise funds by asking family and friends to pledge money for every lap they walk around the school’s athletic field. After the monies are tallied, a large cardboard check is made out to the foundation and presented by the Student Council to Pat Clemency, regional CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, during a special assembly immediately following the school’s holiday concert.
In a room brimming with holiday cheer, Bresnihan spoke to the student body about how little moments of kindness and thinking of others make us who we are and who we will become.
“You’ve made these small moments a great moment,” he said.
Clemency also spoke about how “little moments” such as a smile or sliding down a slide are really big moments for children who are battling a disease. “She called them the wish behind the wish; the moments that take place because a wish is granted.”
“If you could close your eyes and imagine what a wish could bring, you would not even come close to understanding how much that wish means,” she said. “Thank you for conducting the longest fundraiser for the organization and for making a difference in the lives of others.”
