By Efren Acevedo

When a high school comes together anything is possible.

This school year the students and faculty at Wheat Ridge High School took on the task of making a three-year-old girl’s wish into reality.

The Make-A-Wish foundation was currently trying to fundraise money for Finnley, a three-year-old girl who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. This is a condition where a group of inherited diseases can cause muscle damage and weakness, which becomes worse overtime and eventually, it can lead to death. Her one wish is to go to Disney World, and Farmer senate decided to make it happen. Make-A-Wish was looking for someone to take the task of fundraising and the Farmer senate took it into their hands.

On Nov. 22, when the final amount raised was announced, the sophomore senators members and some students got together to record some short messages to send to Finnley. “Finnley’s going to Disney World!” and “We love you, Finnley!” was what the group of students and sophomore senate said.

The first week, around $2,000 was raised. The sophomore senate raised $6,779 by the end. There is still more money to come from contributors through Paypal, which means over $7,000 has been raised. “We had some bumps along the road, but we were successful,” said Andy Frank, president of the sophomore senate. This fundraiser would not have been possible without all of the generous donations from the students and teachers. One of the biggest contributors were the Geonetta family with the donation of $1,000 and the PTSA with the donation of $500.

When Frank was asked why senate chose “The Voice” as a format to raise money, he said, “We chose it to entertain everybody, and because Finnley likes to sing.” Involved in “The Voice” were English teacher Matt Couch and math teacher Kendra Gothard. Kids voted with money for the best video made by each of the teachers

Tim Slater, one of Senate’s advisers, was proud of what his sophomore senate had accomplished. When he was asked what role he took in the fundraiser for Finnley, Slater responded, “I just let them do everything and just stood aside.”

Although Finnley may not live to be 18 due to her disease, on the bright side, since she may not live to experience the world, Wheat Ridge High School and families made her wish come true so she could experience Disney World.