Each year, high school student councils in Wyoming are challenged to hold a Make-A-Wish week, raising money to help the charity grant wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.

In years past, the Powell High School Student Council has held carnivals and other activities for the community. The events of the 2020 Make-A-Wish week were meant to take place right after the high school’s spring break, but the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans. The event — along with the rest of the in-person school year following spring break — had to be canceled.

Despite the pandemic, organizers committed to holding Make-A-Wish week this year. However, all fundraising events and activities were required to follow current COVID-19 protocols, so the students and advisers had to become more creative. And while the Wyoming mask mandate has been lifted, the group still wanted to hold a COVID-friendly event. 

“We adapted,” PHS English teacher and student council adviser Bailey Jackson said. “Our student council members did a great job and did a whole lot of work.”

For example, as an alternative to an all-school in-person assembly in the high school auditorium, short videos were shown to students during the school week. A “minute to win it” game, which took place during the assembly in prior years, became a competition among the high school’s third-period classes.

“The most participation I was impressed with was the minute to win it,” Jackson said. “We got about $1,300 in just a few minutes and that’s just from kids here at the school and the teachers and other employees.”

Music teacher John Fabela and the PHS band won the competition by raising $197.29 and Nan O’Neill’s French class was the runner-up by raising $105.24.

The community-involved event was a Make-A-Wish walk/run hosted by the student council. Runners paid a small sign-up fee for the race and could choose to run or walk a 5k or a mile. 

“The community really helped when it came to the 5k,” Powell High School senior and Student Body President Sophe Morrow said. “We had about 50 people come out, which is really good for our first annual event. And lots of people contributed in advertisements and donations and in letting us put up posters in their businesses.”

About $1,900 was raised from the race.

Jackson said she felt the week was successful, despite having to plan around the pandemic.

“Everything we had planned went well. … We did end up raising almost $5,000 for Make-A-Wish,” Jackson said. “It takes probably about $10,000 to grant your average wish so we got halfway there, which, for a COVID year, is pretty darn good.”

Morrow agreed.

“That’s really awesome considering the circumstances and how small our community is,” she said. “We did a lot of work to prepare for this week over the past month ... I’m just really proud of all that student council did this last week.”