World Wish Day and Our First Ever 5k Run for Wishes

World Wish Day is celebrated on April 29th, the anniversary of the first wish ever granted that inspired the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation! Now more than ever, Wishes can bring hope, joy and a sense of normalcy back into the lives of wish kids and their families. Chi Omegas were eager to take part in the celebration and worked hard to raise $1,111 dollars in 24 hours, inspired by the popular phenomenon of “making a wish” at 11:11 at night.

The following day we held our first ever Make-A-Wish 5k philanthropy run, and despite the rain, we were overwhelmed by the number people from the community that came out to support. We were thrilled to have Wish Kid Pierce kick off the 5k with a “3, 2, 1” countdown.

Not only was the 5k a great way to raise money for Make-A-Wish, but it was also a great way to bond with our sisters! Chi Omegas were seen smiling and laughing as they crossed the finished line. The support from everyone watching was unmatched, and you could hear people cheering runners on even from far away.

“I was so excited to be able to be running for such a good cause. Make a Wish is such an amazing organization and I was so glad to be a part of raising money to grant a kiddo a wish. Running the 5k for me was a blast and the support from everyone was amazing!” -Abby Roberts, Runner, PC ‘21

“Running for Make-A-Wish was by far one of my favorite memories of being in Chi Omega so far. Despite our rainy day, you could feel the excited energy among us to come together and do something for such extraordinary kids. I loved seeing the signs of Make-A-Wish kiddos along the route, as it was the best motivation and greatest reminder of how inspiring they are. I’m already excited for next year! -Autumn Carr, Runner, PC ‘21

Make-A-Wish Directors Megan Kurth and Aubri McClung also worked tirelessly to plan our Make-A-Wish 5k Run for Wishes! Current sisters and Chi Omega Alumnae, along with families and friends, showed up even amid windy and rainy conditions on Saturday morning in order to participate in the run for a great cause. Special shoutout to Tyler Tobin, our first place finisher, with a time of 17:23 and Bella Heideisch, our first Chi Omega finisher, with a time of 23:59!

“Planning and organizing the first annual 5k Run for Wishes with Aubri is something I will remember for a very long time. This organization means so much to us and we are constantly trying to find new ways to fundraise and bring the chapter together for this amazing cause. I remember the joy I felt counting down at the start line with our friend Pierce knowing that all of our efforts were for kiddos just like him:) It also warmed my heart to see all of the Chi Omega’s smiling faces looking back at me in that moment. It was really cool to see that our chapter really does share the same passion for MAW that Aubri and I do” -Megan Kurth, MAW Director, PC ‘19

Overall, the 5k Run, online World Wish Day fundraiser, and our Ladies Weekend Auction puts us at a combined total of over $15,000 raised for the spring semester - enough to grant a child’s wish! We could not be more proud of our sisters for their contributions to Make-A-Wish, and a special shoutout to Aubri and Megan for constantly encouraging us and going the extra mile themselves to support the Make-A-Wish organization. We are already looking forward to another great 5k race in 2023!