Thursday, October 1, 2026
Students at Oceanside Middle School have been working the entire school year to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, generating nearly $9,000 for the organization through a variety of fundraising efforts.
At the start of the school year, students were given the opportunity to choose a charitable organization to support. After voting among several options, the students selected Make-A-Wish and focused their fundraising efforts on that single cause throughout the year.
“I'm really proud that we were able to do this, as shared experiences are very important in schools, especially middle school,” Allison Glickman-Rogers, the school’s principal, said.
Students organized and participated in numerous events, including a car wash, a three-on-three basketball tournament, pizza and bagel sales, St. Patrick's Day-themed green bagel sales and ice pop sales. They held their last fundraiser, a Color Run, where people raced the school’s track as colorful powder was thrown their way. The largest fundraiser of the year was tied to the annual Polar Bear Plunge in Long Beach this past winter.
Many students and staff members participated in the Polar Bear Plunge, collecting sponsorships and donations from family members and friends in exchange for braving the cold waters. The school also sold special Oceanside Polar Bear Plunge sweatshirts. Together, those efforts generated more than $5,000 toward the overall fundraising total.
“I'm really happy that all of our students and staff got to participate and enjoy a shared experience that was as impactful as this one,” Glickman-Rogers said.
Throughout the year, students were able to see firsthand how their efforts were making a difference. Representatives from Make-A-Wish visited the school at the start of the campaign to introduce students to the organization, explain how nonprofits operate, and share stories about children whose wishes had been granted. Members of the school's Principal's Council helped develop fundraising ideas and activities.
On June 11, Michelle Nardelli, Make-A-Wish's manager of community fundraising for Metro and Western New York, returned to update students on recently granted wishes and ongoing wish experiences. The presentation helped students understand the direct impact of their fundraising efforts and reinforced the importance of community service.
“It's kids just like them that they're helping,” Nardelli said, “and they really do make a difference.”
During her visit, Nardelli shared stories of local families whose wishes were granted to help students better understand the impact of their fundraising. By connecting students with real-life examples, Make-A-Wish aimed to show how the students' efforts throughout the school year would make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Glickman-Rogers said initiatives like this help students recognize that they have the power to positively affect the lives of others. By working together toward a common goal, students learned the value of collaboration, service and community involvement.
“This really allows students to just see the meaning behind their work and how they impact others,” Glickman-Rogers said.
The experience also introduced students to the possibility of future careers centered on helping others. Nardelli also shared her own involvement in community service projects, which eventually inspired her career path, offering students an example of how service can shape future opportunities.
“What really gave me the skills for the career that I have now is not really what I learned in school, as much as it was things like these,” Nardelli said. “My family was really involved with different organizations growing up, giving back, volunteering, organizing fundraisers. All of the work like this is what gave me the skills now to have the career that I do.”
The partnership highlighted the power of community involvement. Schoolwide participation from students, staff, familiesand community members demonstrated how people working toward a common goal can create a significant impact.
School administrators expressed pride in the way students and staff came together throughout the year, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences in building a strong school community.
The success of this year's campaign has encouraged the school to continue the tradition, with plans to allow students to vote on a charitable organization again next year and launch another school-wide fundraising effort.
The Make a WIsh Foundation grants wishes throughtout the country to children with critical illnesses. With the help of donations and collaborations, they’re able to partner with medical teams, volunteers and more to make wishes possible.
For more information on Make-A-Wish, visit Wish.org.
