Granting a wish for the Make-A-Wish Foundation is no small feat. Just one wish, on average, costs $7,205 as of March 2010.

However for the past few years, the student athletes at Shippensburg University and (The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) SAAC have done exactly that.

On Friday, March 2, about 170 student athletes came together at Heiges Field House for the first One Night, One Wish event.

Spearheaded by Brittany Harlacker and Julia Brownrigg and sponsored by SAAC, student athletes were asked to raise a minimum of $25 to participate in the event.

The event would last for six hours, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Participants were to stand on their feet all night and take part in various events that would carry them through the night.

“I was extremely nervous just at the thought that we wouldn’t raise enough money,” Harlacker said.
“But once we got rolling, I realized how much fun everyone was having and how aware they were that this was going to an amazing cause,” she said.

The event was made into a great night by some sponsors like Student Senate, Suave Brothers, Reisner Dining, The Hair Cottage and many other generous sponsors.

At the beginning of the night, two families spoke about how the Make-A-Wish Foundation has changed their lives. One young child’s wish was to meet Ty Pennington of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition.”

The other, to take a trip to Hawaii. Student athletes were able to hear and see exactly how their fundraising impacts others for a happy, hopeful experience through their respective treatments.
The events throughout the night included a pudding eating contest, dodgeball, man hunt, capture the flag, a belly flop contest and many more. Students signed up for each event and the winners of each event were awarded extra raffle tickets.

Raffles were sponsored by University Grille, Sheetz, Before and After Cafe and other places around town. At the end of the night, gift cards to each place were raffled.

A highlight of the night included Paul to the Wall. Women’s softball assistant Coach Paul O’Brien ped to the wall by students who bought pieces of duct tape for a dollar each.

Another highlight included 14 girls cutting their hair and donating it to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Challenge.

These girls were required to cut off at least 8 inches of their hair.

The donated hair will be sent in and made into wigs. Among the 14 girls who donated their hair was Ashley Grimm, Shippensburg University’s acting assistant director of athletics.

The name for the event, One Night, One Wish, was able to be turned into a reality.

Students were able to raise a total of $5,800. SAAC reached its goal, but still plans to raise as much money as possible at its next event, Athlete Auction, on April 22 in the Tuscarora Room at 7 p.m.

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