This summer I have the incredible opportunity to be an Intern for Make-A-Wish. On June 14th & 15th, I watched as two-hundred “Edgers” faced their fears and went Over The Edge to raise over four-hundred and fifty thousand dollars to grant wishes for ninety Make-A-Wish Kids.
Two years ago, I went with my best friend, Tara, on her Make-A-Wish trip to the 2012 Olympics in London, England. We traveled for a few weeks to Spain, Italy, France, and Germany before we made it to England. When we finally got to England, Tara was so excited. Make-A-Wish had so many things planned for us and we got the chance to meet other Make-A-Wish families from all over the United States who had wished to come to the Olympics as well. She had wished to go to a soccer game, so we went to Mexico vs. Senegal in the quarter finals. It ended up being a great game and Mexico won in extra time. The whole experience, before we even left, was one that I will remember for the rest of my life. The trip gave Tara and her parents something to look forward to and back on during the low points in her battle with cancer.
I was so thrilled when I found out I was going to Intern for Make-A-Wish this summer. Being apart, even a small part, of what Make-A-Wish does for families is something I take so much pride in. I know, first hand, how much these trips really make a difference for these families. I will always be eternally grateful for Make-A-Wish, and everyone who participates in fundraisers like Over The Edge, for everything they have done for Tara, her parents, and me.

Austin OTE 2014 benefiting Make-A-Wish was my first experience with Over the Edge, and what a joy it was to be involved in such an awesome event for such a wonderful organization!!

I've known about the Make-A-Wish Foundation for quite some time and I have always thought it is an incredible group that truly does great things for sick kids and their families. This past year I've had the pleasure of having more exposure to Make-A-Wish as I joined Chi Omega at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. By joining our chapter's Make-A-Wish Team, I was able to be a part of a lot of our fundraising and philanthropic efforts for Make-A-Wish, and I got to volunteer with my first Wish. This event was so touching to me, as I really witnessed firsthand the fruits of our fundraising labor while watching a little girl named Savannah smile and dance at her very own princess party in a ballroom downtown.The immense effort and careful attention to detail that went into the wish was evident all around me, from the projectors that displayed a castle scene onto the walls, to the custom menu of kid-friendly delicacies (i.e. hot dogs, cotton candy, mac-and-cheese, etc.) and the elegant princess dresses that had been rented for Savannah and her friends. Seeing that wish actually unfold in front of me was so rewarding and got me even more excited to help Make-A-Wish.

While I go to school in Fort Worth, my hometown is New Braunfels, Texas. Wanting to be close to home this summer, I began searching for internships in the area. I found out that Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas in Austin was seeking interns, providing the perfect opportunity for me to learn about what I'm studying in school (marketing and communications) and do what I love to do while benefiting Make-A-Wish! I was so grateful to accept the position and I have loved working here this summer!!

The office was all-hands-on-deck preparing for the event in the weeks leading up to Over-the-Edge, and I had the opportunity to participate in lots of preparation and planning. Even if my contributions were small, it was so cool to see the event come to fruition (and with such success!!) come June 14th and 15th, knowing that I had played at least some part in making it happen and thus making the wishes of 90 local kids a reality.

At the event, I had the honor of hanging out with awesome Wish Kids like Angelina and Aaliyah in the photo above. The optimism, humility, and gratitude of these kids and their families was so special to witness, and I loved talking with the Wish families and rooting for the rappellers with the best cheering section in the bunch.

I'm so fortunate to have been able to participate in this event and to have the opportunity to intern with Make-A-Wish this summer. I'm looking forward to continuing to be involved in this awesome cause in the future!