Children raise over $4,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation

Shay+Connell%2C+fundraiser+organizer+and+Pullman+resident%2C+prepares+a+snow+cone+Wednesday+afternoon+to+raise+money+for+the+Alaska+%26+Washington+chapter+of+Make-A-Wish.+Last+year%2C+Connell+and+two+of+her+friends+collected+more+than+%244%2C300+for+the+organization.

MADYSEN MCLAIN | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

Shay Connell, fundraiser organizer and Pullman resident, prepares a snow cone Wednesday afternoon to raise money for the Alaska & Washington chapter of Make-A-Wish. Last year, Connell and two of her friends collected more than $4,300 for the organization.

MADYSEN MCLAIN, Evergreen roots editor

Shay Connell, 10-year-old, set a goal to raise $200 last year for the Make-A-Wish Foundation by selling snow cones, but instead, raised over $4,300. This year, Shay hopes to donate $5,000 to the foundation.

Shay and two other Pullman children sold snow cones and baked goods Wednesday afternoon for the Make-A-Wish Foundation on the corner of Southwest Center Street and Finch Way. Families from the Pullman area donated over 500 baked items.

Shay, who suffers from a congenital heart defect called heterotaxy, had her wish granted in 2017. She traveled to Los Angeles to meet Disney Channel Actress Dove Cameron, from the movie “Descendants.”

Shay’s parents discovered the medical condition when her mother was 20 weeks pregnant and had an ultrasound. Since then, Shay has had several open-heart surgeries and must take blood thinners.

“After my wish, I thought I should give back to all the other kids,” Shay said.

She now attends Palouse Prairie Charter School in Moscow and is in fourth grade this year. She said as part of her wish that she was granted, she will travel to Canada on Thursday to see the set of the “Descendants 3” movie.

Kimberly Carper, wish granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, said her two children and Shay became close after meeting two years ago when she was coordinating Shay’s wish.

Jack Carper, one of the three children to help organize the fundraiser, said he wants to make the bake sale an annual event.

“It’s really fun knowing how much I’ve helped these kids,” Jack said.

Shay’s mother, Colleen Welter, said all the money raised will go toward the Alaska and Washington chapter of Make-A-Wish. She said the support from the Pullman community has been amazing.

“People are coming out of the woodwork to help,” Welter said.

She said Shay went to the Pullman police and fire stations to pass out flyers for the bake sale when Ryan Scharnhorst, Pullman assistant fire chief, decided to chip in.

Both departments appeared with police vehicles and an ambulance at the bake sale Wednesday afternoon.

“I wanted to challenge my guys and girls to give back and I said, ‘Let’s run with it,’” Scharnhorst said.

He said the fire and police departments have a strong social media presence, so he wanted to use it to draw in more funds and traffic at the bake sale. Passing cars and neighbors made stops to pick up a snow cone or baked goods, provided by 12 local families.

“Shay wouldn’t be here without modern medicine, but what Make-A-Wish does is what medicine can’t,” Welter said.