Students raise over $10,000 for Make-A-Wish Idaho

A 5-year-old girl with a rare cancer was able to visit Disney World for the first time, thanks to the money raised by Highland High School.

The school held a rally to present a $10,000 check to Make-A-Wish Idaho to support children like Katie Wednesday.

Students gathered in the gym today for a school rally and their annual Highland Idol, a singing competition that concludes a week of events, that raise funds for Make-A-Wish Idaho.

“Every single year, I think it brings Highland together as a whole, and we stop thinking about ourselves and we think about her,” sophomore class president Easton Durhm said.

“It’s very surreal in a way for me,” Katie’s mother Anjillee Lott said. “My husband and I met at Highland, actually, and when I heard that Highland was going to do Katie’s Make-A-Wish, I was very grateful.”

Of the money raised, $10,600 will go toward Katie’s trip, and the rest will go toward her medical expenses. “That is almost two full wishes for Make-A-Wish,” Make-A-Wish Idaho regional manager Julie Thomas said. “Our average (is) $6,500. So Highland High School raised almost enough to complete (two) wishes.”

Durhm said leading this project has given him a new perspective and appreciation.

“It’s been a really cool experience to learn about what other people struggle with. We think we have struggles, but she’s been through a lot,” Durhm said.

To find out how you can help, you can visit Make-A-Wish Idaho.