Finley Trio Makes a Difference
Three J. Taylor Finley Middle School students have hearts of gold. The group was intent on making a difference during the recent holiday season and they succeeded in their quest.
"Early in December, Gaia D'Anna, Erica Vasquez and Maggie Giles came to me and asked if they could hold a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation," Finley Principal John Amato said. Mr. Amato quickly agreed to the request told the students to brainstorm with one another and develop some fundraising ideas for the initiative.
"I told them it was a great concept and to develop a concrete plan and then go for it," Mr. Amato said. The three young ladies sat at a table in the Finley cafeteria during lunch periods in December and sold leaves on their giving tree for $1 each. Students, faculty and staff members responded in typical Finley fashion; with enthusiasm and compassion.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation "grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy," according to the organization's website.
The three Finley students were persistent in their quest. "The girls raised over $330 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Suffolk County," Mr. Amato said. Since its inception in 1983, Suffolk Make-A-Wish has granted over 2,000 wishes to local children, including 122 wishes in the past year. Some of the wishes granted include: Jordan, age 6, who wished to go to Disney with his family; Benjamin, age 9, who wished to meet WWE Wrestlers; Caitlin, age 14, who wished to visit the set of Harry Potter in the U.K.; James, age 18, who wished to receive his own DJ equipment!
The Finley trio exuded pride and satisfaction when Make-A-Wish Foundation official Adrienne Ratuczny visited the school to pick up a check represented the amount of money raised. Mr. Amato has already signed the young ladies up for next year's campaign.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is the largest wish-granting charity in the world with 62 chapters in the United States and 43 international affiliates on five continents. The Suffolk chapter, with is funded entirely through private donations, has over 150 active volunteers. The organization has more than 25,000 volunteers in all across the nation.