When wishing makes it so
From left, Spenser Pfau, Kelsea Beck, Kylie Roundtree, Chloe Evans, Sochie Goitiandia, Perla Nana and Mari Ruiz-Worthington raised money to help a Blaine County student achieve a wish.
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Seven fifth-grade students at Woodside Elementary School spent six weeks working on a fundraising drive for Wood River Middle School eighth-grade student Eli McNees’ wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Idaho. The Hailey resident’s wish is to take a trip to the Bahamas with his family, and that wish will come true this Thanksgiving. By selling stars for $1, and collecting money in coin jars set up around the school, the group was able to donate $448 to Make-A-Wish for Eli, 13, who has Hodgkin’s disease. Webb Landscaping also donated to Eli’s wish. “We felt this year that if we could find someone locally to help with a wish, we’d be able to donate directly,” Webb donation committee member Christine Miller said. “We like to keep donations dollars local.” Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children two and a half to 18 years old. Each child is assigned two wish granters to help coordinate their needs with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Boise. Eli’s granters, Kim Williams of Hailey and Trena Andrus of Bellevue, met with the group once a week for lunch at Woodside Elementary. “Eli is a great kid with a great attitude,” Williams said. “The girls did a stupendous job. They were gung-ho.”