Harrisburg Academy Head of School Adrian Allan and students presented to Make-A-Wish® Foundation and Macy’s more than 2,250 letters students wrote for Macy’s Holiday Letter-Writing Campaign. For each letter dropped off today at Macy’s Capital City Mall store, the company will donate $2 to the Make-A-Wish® Foundation. It is the largest number of letters Harrisburg Academy has collected in three years of participation and the largest number from a single school in the Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley chapter’s region.
Harrisburg Academy participates in Kids for Wish Kids. Kids For Wish Kids is a customizable fundraising program that provides schools and youth organizations the opportunity to engage in philanthropy and service activities in partnership with Make-A-Wish®. The program encourages community service, leadership, volunteerism and teamwork. It helps build school spirit and creates partnerships outside the classroom while providing students hands-on experience fundraising to help create life-changing wishes for kids fighting critical illnesses.
“A wish can be truly transformational for a child in our community. It’s just remarkable,” noted Ann Shields, development director of Harrisburg, Make A Wish® Philadelphia, Delaware, & Susquehanna Valley. “This project allows the students at Harrisburg Academy and around the region to give back to others and focus on their community. To make this effort at such an early age prepares these children to do this for the rest of their lives. As each student writes a letter, Macy’s donates $2 to help children in our community. It makes a huge difference for all these children. Our thanks to Harrisburg Academy!”
“We are so proud of our Harrisburg Academy students who fully embraced Macy’s Holiday Letter-Writing Campaign that generates funds to make more special wishes come true for children who face critical illnesses in our community,” added Adrian Allan, head of school, Harrisburg Academy. “We instill in our students a deep commitment to philanthropy. Andrew H., Class of ’30, and his sister, Aubrey, Class of ’32, led this effort with their peers and have generated more than $4,500 to support local Make-A-Wish® children’s dreams come true. The Academy thanks Macy’s for offering this program and giving our students the opportunity to serve other children.”
On behalf of his sister and fellow HA students, Andrew H. said, “This is such an exciting moment because all these kids are going to have their wishes granted because of what we did.”
About Make-A-Wish® Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley
Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 24,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant more than 25 wishes every day. Since 1986, Make-A-Wish® Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley has fulfilled over 7,500 transformational wishes for local children with critical illnesses. For more information about Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, visit wish.org/philadesv
About Macy’s Make-A-Wish Partnership
Macy’s beloved letter-writing campaign, in partnership with Make-A-Wish, gives customers of all ages the opportunity to send letters and deliver wishes. From Dec. 1 through Dec. 24, for every letter sent to Santa that’s dropped off in Macy’s stores nationwide, Macy’s will donate $2 to Make-A-Wish, up to $2 million, to help children fighting critical illnesses’ life-changing wishes come true.
With support from the Macy’s campaign, Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children with critical illnesses, allowing them to replace fear with confidence, anxiety with hope and sadness with joy. Since 2003, Macy’s has donated more than $142 million to Make-A-Wish, helping grant more than 16,200 wishes and impacting more than 3.1 million people, including wish kids and their families, volunteers, community groups, medical professionals and more.
Harrisburg Academy’s Mission
Harrisburg Academy offers an academically challenging, inclusive and globally minded interdisciplinary education. In our commitment to excellence, we provide tools, develop character, and teach skills that prepare students to thrive in college and beyond, thereby contributing to the betterment of our global and local communities. www.HarrisburgAcademy.org