SWEETWATER COUNTY — As the 2024 Make-A-Wish fundraiser kicks off in Sweetwater County, the high schools in Rock Springs and Green River have announced plans for next year in which they will direct fundraising efforts to local causes.

Rock Springs High School and Green River High School student council sponsors Amberlee Beardsley and Marisa DeClercq announced today that after this year’s Make-A-Wish fundraiser, they want to start raising money for local people in need. The two schools consistently raise the most funds out of all the schools in Wyoming to donate to Make-A-Wish.

The schools combined to raise $62,529.66 in the annual Make-A-Wish fundraising competition last year, and have raised over $1,013,694 over the 20-year span of the event.

“While this has been an honor that we have held for many years, we see that the needs of our own communities are often going unmet,” Beardsley and DeClercq said in a press release. “As a student government organization, we feel that it is important to develop leaders who come together to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. That is why we have decided to combine forces as high schools across Sweetwater County to grant wishes TOGETHER! We hope to grow this effort in the future to reach out to our local organizations and provide assistance to those in need within our own communities.”

While Make-A-Wish will still be part of their efforts for fundraising, there will no longer be “Make-A-Wish Weeks” dedicated to the fundraiser.

“We will always continue to support Make-A-Wish as a part of this effort, but this will be our last year of doing ‘Make-A-Wish Week’ as we move forward in fundraising to grant wishes for those with needs here locally,” they said.

Both Beardsley and DeClercq said that they believe that being able to provide assistance to organizations within Sweetwater County will be more impactful, and will result in student leaders being able to see how their hard work and dedication can make positive changes in their own communities.

“We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve in a community that prioritizes giving back. We always find ourselves reflecting after events, like Make-A-Wish and the Blood Drive Challenge, and we try to wrap our heads around the love and support that we and our students feel from the communities we live in,” they said. “… We look forward to your continued support and can’t wait to make a difference here at home.”