Arlington Hts. students raise big bucks for Make-A-Wish

A 7-year-old Schaumburg boy and students at Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights likely will never meet, but they came together in spirit last week at the school's eighth annual walkathon.

After weeks of planning, students at Patton held their Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser, which to date has raised more than $70,000 for the organization, or enough to grant nearly a dozen wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

"It just feels good when you do something for someone else," said fifth-grader Colin Stanhope of Arlington Heights. "It's fun and it's a tradition."

Motivating students this year was hearing about second-grader Adam Berg of Schaumburg, who like his older brother, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is a progressive disease, which causes increasing muscle loss and function.

In Adam's case, the disease has slowed him down a bit, his mother says, but he can still walk, and he hopes to play floor hockey next fall with Special Olympics.

"He loves to build with Legos and he likes to swim," Christina Berg says. "He plays ball in the yard, and while he may not be as fast as other kids, that doesn't bother him."

Many of the Patton students have the same interests, but through their Make-A-Wish campaign, they have learned more about muscular dystrophy and the challenges that Adam faces.

"We've only seen his picture, but we feel like we know him," said fifth-grader Taylor Tracz of Arlington Heights. "It makes you want to do something to help him."

Ashley Nichele, a gift officer with Make-A-Wish Illinois, points out that Patton students raised money for all Make-A-Wish children, not just Adam.

"We asked Adam's family to share his story because we like to tie a local wish to the students' fundraising efforts," Nichele says. "This way, they see the impact of their support and generosity."

Adam's wish was to dine with Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and thanks to donations like those raised by students at Patton, he and his family will do just that on his birthday in July.

Patton is one of 100 schools each year that participate in the Kids for Wish Kids program, which is a national initiative sponsored by Make-A-Wish, aimed at raising awareness and empowering local schoolchildren to give back to their counterparts with life-threatening medical conditions.

"It has been very successful within schools," Nichele adds. "Children really rally around their classmates who have wishes, and around wish kids in their communities."

That was evident at Patton, where a last minute switch indoors because of rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the day. Instead of walking through the neighborhood, they circled the hallways of their school, with nine laps equaling one mile.

Young Isaac Sloss, a first-grader from Arlington Heights, was thrilled that the rain canceled his baseball game, allowing him to stay longer and walk more laps. But after lap number 23, he collapsed at his father's feet.

"I'm tired," he said.

Student council members organized four spirit days in the months leading up to the event, and through T-shirt sales, selling chances, and students' pledges, they hoped to raise $12,000, or enough to grant two wishes.