Twins Hailey and Hannah’s Make-A-Wish granted at James Clemens

MADISON – Eight-year-old twins Hailey and Hannah Shore of Fyffe, Ala. were granted a dream come true with their Make-A-Wish reveal at James Clemens High School on April 18.

Hannah asked the Make-A-Wish foundation for a vacation to Hawaii for parents Lori and Chris Shores, Hailey and herself. Hailey and Hannah have cystic fibrosis.

For the ‘reveal,’ James Clemens students assembled in the gym for a Hawaiian-themed celebration. Inflatable palm trees, beach balls and tropical flowers decorated the gym, and a group of hula dancers performed. Students dressed in Hawaiian shirts and vacation togs, brought a surfboard and wore flower leis.

Hailey and Hannah play soccer, so, after the reveal, the Jets girls’ soccer team invited them for a game. The Jets players named Hailey and Hannah as honorary captains.

Make-A-Wish connected James Clemens with Hannah’s wish. James Clemens students and residents have contributed to Make-A-Wish this school year. After the faculty/student basketball game, the school reached its $8,000, Melanie Turner said. Turner heads the math department and is advisor for Student Government Association and Mu Alpha Theta.

“Every year for our give-back homecoming, James Clemens selects a charity to base our homecoming theme around and for classes to choose charity items to collect,” Turner said. “This year, SGA leadership decided to have only one charity, instead of one per class.”

James Clemens students raised Make-A-Wish funds during the homecoming parade and lunch hour at school, with a ‘wish website,’ from a portion of homecoming tickets and faculty/student basketball proceeds. Madison residents gave more than $1,000 in donations.

“Every student at James Clemens had an opportunity to contribute anything from pocket change to online donations of more than $100,” Turner said.

The Jets also collected gifts of luggage, fast-food gift cards, beach necessities, waterproof cameras, phone cases and T-shirts. James Clemens’ contributions and Make-A-Wish will cover airfare and lodging.

“Throughout the year, we sponsored service-learning opportunities for students and teachers about the Make-A-Wish organization,” Turner said. “We sent out videos to the advisory classes, and the SGA was key in making decisions about events to raise funds for Make-A-Wish and in educating the school community about Make-A-Wish.”

The national Make-A-Wish Foundation was incorporated in May 1983. With grass-roots support from the community, Make-A-Wish “creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses,” according to the website alabama.wish.org.

For more information, email AdoptAWish@wish.org.