For the 10th consecutive year, Washington Drive Primary and Thomas J. Lahey elementary schools in the Harborfields Central School District hosted its annual Walk for a Wish fundraising event to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation on April 16. The well-attended event raised more than $22,000, granting the wishes of 14-year-old Joseph, a child from Huntington Station who struggles with congenital heart defects, and two other Make-A-Wish children.
“Granting wishes to children at Make-A-Wish is an important event for the Harborfields community because we are encouraging children to be empathetic and supportive of other children,” said Walk for a Wish coordinator and Thomas J. Lahey teacher Diane Brown. “Our students are actively involved in this community service project, making it a meaningful experience.”
Leading up to the Walk for a Wish event, students, respectively, held bake sales and garage sales to raise money for this annual charity fundraiser and donations were contributed through various fundraising efforts. With costs totaling more than $7,000, this marked the most funds raised prior to the walk event.
Sponsored jointly by the Walk for a Wish Committee of Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School, the Acts of Kindness Committee at Washington Drive Primary School and the schools’ respective PTAs, more than 900 students, faculty, community members and Harborfields sports teams rallied together to walk the track at Harborfields High School. The event also featured a face-painting booth ran by high school students and a dunk tank. Additionally, nonperishable food items were collected to support the Harborfields food pantry.
Throughout the past 10 years, the event has raised more than $150,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Harborfields community is responsible for granting the wishes of approximately 20 children.
“When the Harborfields students come together to work on a goal, it builds a sense of community,” said Brown. “Walk for a Wish is a celebration of the students’ accomplishment towards this goal.”
Photo Captions:
Photo1: Harborfields Walk for a Wish coordinators are pictured with students from Washington Drive Primary School, Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School and Oldfield Middle School.
Photo2: Harborfields students held the Walk for a Wish banner and lead the group of supporters around the high school track.
Photo courtesy of the Harborfields Central School District
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