AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Smoky Hill High School celebrated its 12th annual Wish Week as part of Make-A-Wish Colorado’s student-led fundraising program, Kids for Wish Kids.
According to Make-A-Wish, the Kids for Wish Kids program allows students to gain experience in philanthropy and learn valuable leadership skills while raising funds for children with critical illnesses.
The Wish Week is planned and managed entirely by the students and all the money raised goes to Make-A-Wish Colorado.
Smoky Hill celebrated Jack, a local 6-year-old who is battling leukemia.
“April 27, 2020, COVID is raging. I was downstairs working on my computer and my son wakes up and screams, ‘Momma, momma, my tummy hurts.’ I got to him and he is burning up, 102.5 fever, his tummy hurts and I rush him to the ER. I was bracing for appendicitis and they told me ‘leukemia,'” Jack’s mother, Julie Krummenacher said.
Jack is a dinosaur super fan and his biggest wish was to have a pet dinosaur. To bring Jack’s wish to life, Smoky Hill transformed into Jurassic Hill.
“I said, ‘You can pick something, anything you want in the whole world,’ and he said, ‘I want a pet Brachiosaurus.’ I said, ‘Oh, baby, I can’t do a magic wish.’ That’s where the whole Jurassic Hill kind of stemmed from because his biggest wish in the whole wide world was to have a pet dinosaur,” Krummenacher said.
Jack and his twin sister Ella entered the school to a roar of cheers from the student body. The twins were dressed in blow-up dinosaur costumes that looked like they rode a dinosaur straight into the gym. Jack was the star of the show enjoying games of Hungry Hungry Hippos, Disney sing-alongs, and performances with the students.
Jack is just one of 33 wishes granted by Smoky Hill students. The Kids for Wish Kids Colorado campaign has raised $975,000 with Smoky Hill contributing $253,000 from its previous 11 wish weeks.
“I feel like my heart is exploding because of all the kindness. With everyone reaching out and showing so much love, there are no words to even describe it,” Krummenacher said.
Students have planned a variety of other events to continue to grant wishes for the 450 Colorado children waiting for a wish.