Since the summer of 1987, the Make-A-Wish Chapter in Montana has granted more than 575 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions living in the state's 56 counties. As the Foundation's motto suggests, "Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses."

The Chinook High School (CHS) Student Council took that motto to heart and planned a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Chinook Food Pantry. Keeping with the theme of togetherness and to make the effort more productive and profitable, they included Meadowlark Elementary. The total amount raised in this collaborative effort was $1995.58!

When asked how the student council came to select these two charities, Student Council Advisor Fay Friede explained that a few years ago, the Montana Make-A-Wish Foundation was chosen as Montana Association of Student Council's (MASC) state charity. To date, MASC has given thousands of dollars to the charitable organization. Each year, student councils across the state are asked to participate in the MASC Challenge by making a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the state conference.

CHS Student Council President Kourtney Hanson wanted to get involved with that mission: "For the past two years that I have been attending the conference, Chinook hasn't given to the Montana Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I wanted to see us participate. I also wanted to get us more involved in the school and the community, so by helping out the Food Pantry, we can give back to the community. It was awesome to see the participation we got," she said.

At the high school, students donated money for the privilege to wear hats and teachers donated twenty dollars to wear jeans for the week of April 1-5. Their efforts netted $324.00.

At Meadowlark, the MBI student leadership team-which is basically a student council-and some of the sixth graders worked with Hanson to organize a Coin War Drive to raise money for these causes. Sixth graders designed and created donation containers, spoke to all the classes, and announced reminders to the school each morning on the public address system. Their marketing and efforts paid off. The total raised from the coin drive at Meadowlark was $1,451.58.

"The elementary students just donated coins, so that amount is all from coins and the students' generosity. There was also money from the elementary donated by teachers, and that amount was an additional $220.00," Meadowlark Elementary Principal Jon Martin reported.

The high school student council agreed to reward the grade level that donated the most money with a pizza party with the high school student council: President Hanson, Vice President Hunter Neibauer, Secretary/Treasurer Ashley MacLeod, and Parliamentarian Isaac Bell. After tallying the coin contributions, the first graders will be the benefactors of that award. With their collection of $401.98, they beat out the sixth grade who had to settle for second place. When Hanson and company made the announcement at an assembly on April 12, the crowd erupted with cheers and chatter.

About the coin drive, sixth grade leader Bri Boetcher said, "It was fun helping out. Maybe some participated because there was a pizza party promised to the winning class, but still, people wanted to help."

According to a 2011 Wish Impact Study commissioned by Make-A-Wish America, 89% of health professionals surveyed believed that the wish experience can be a game-changer for a child, influencing physical health. This belief inspires the Foundation and donors alike to grant wishes that change the lives of children.

Foundation personnel also believe that wishes impact everyone involved-wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. The impact varies. For wish recipients, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still others might realize the power of volunteer work or altruism.

The second charity chosen, the Chinook Food Pantry is part of the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN). It provides a helping hand to families in need of food in Blaine County. Approximately 25 percent of the population in Blaine County receives assistance from the Food Pantry, showing just how vital funding is for the organization and community. The food pantry is the yellow building, the VFW Hall, located on the corner of Sixth Street and Pennsylvania in Chinook. They are open Tuesdays from 1:00-3:30 p.m.

With headquarters in Missoula, the MFBN is a non-profit organization that provides nutritious foods to end hunger for thousands of people across the state. The organization believes that every person has the basic human right to access high-quality nutritious food and that no person deserves to go hungry. Ever.

MFBN rescues millions of pounds of surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, and grocery stores. It is then sorted, repacked and distributed through Network Partners and programs that serve 40 counties across Montana.

Friede explained that the Student Council has been helping unload the food bank truck every six weeks this year. "That gesture has made an impact on our students. There is such a great need for families in our community, and the food bank has at times been almost empty at times."

Since the Student Council will have to vote on how the funds will be distributed between the two causes, that decision will likely occur at the next student council meeting, according to Friede. The 2019 State Student Council conference will be held in Bozeman in October, so the Chinook Schools' donation will be presented at that time.

Not only CHS's Student Council President, Hanson is also the outgoing District Five Student Council President. In this role, she has spent the past year on the Executive Board updating the MASC's Constitution. "The changes have recently been unanimously approved by schools across the state who belong to MASC, so it's a great accomplishment for the six students on the Executive Board," Friede added.