Members of Chi Omega helped grant Allison’s wish to have her own backyard playground.

Wishmakers on Campus projects are limited only by your imagination. You can select from some of the ideas listed or come up with an inspired idea of your own. Remember to get approval from your local chapter before launching an effort.

Have a Dance Marathon

Reserve your school's gymnasium or cafeteria or work with a local pub. Charge an entrance fee or ask students to collect pledges from friends, family, student organizations or local businesses to participate. Determine a time frame for the marathon: we suggest twelve hours. Ask local businesses to donate refreshments or door prizes for the participants. And think of fun themes for each hour i.e. the 70's hour, and devise activities to keep dancers motivated, i.e. play the hokey pokey, do the limbo, etc.

Host a Bachelor and Bachelorette Auction

Ask each dorm, fraternity, sorority, sports team and student organization to have one representative volunteer to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Arrange to hold the auction at a local pub, create a small program listing the major and hobbies of each participant and get "dinner for two" gift certificates donated by local restaurants for each couple.

Coordinate a Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball or Flag Football Tournament

Post flyers announcing the tournament. Specifically invite fraternities, sororities, dorms and other student organizations to participate. Ask a local restaurant to donate refreshments or prizes for the winning team. Charge an admission fee for each team. You can also sell official tournament T-shirts.

Have a Bowl-A-Thon

One local college has a bowl-a-thon as a Greek Week activity each year. They collect pledges based on the number of pins they hope to knock down. If they collect five cents per pin per sponsor and score 100, they'll collect a $5.00 donation per sponsor. The student that raises the most money wins a prize. Ask your local bowling alley to donate a few lanes for the event. You could also charge a flat fee for each player to participate.

Host a concert with a local band

Contact a popular local band and plan a concert. Hold it on campus or at a local bar that will donate the cover charge to the Foudnation.

Organize a 5K Walk for Wishes^®

Charge a $5 entrance fee or have students collect pledges to participate. Put flyers up in local businesses inviting the community to participate. Get refreshments donated from local restaurants. If you ask participants to collect pledges to participate, give the top fundraiser a prize.

Plan a Jail-A-Thon

Elect a few people to be the deputies. Students pay to have their friends and professors arrested. Those arrested are taken to a roped-off spot on campus. They can pay bail or stay for their entire sentence - approximately ten minutes.

Plan a Halloween, End of Semester, Valentine's, Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day party

Ask each student to make a $3 or $5 donation at the door.

Have a Hot Dog Eating Contest

Charge participants a $10 entry fee or ask them to collect a minimum in pledges to participate. Set a time limit for the contest and ask local restaurants or grocery stores to donate the hot dogs and buns. One local organization called their event "Dogapolooza."

Sell Holiday Candy-grams

For a $1.00 donation, students purchase a small candy bar and write a secret message to a friend. Each message is attached to the candy bar and delivered on Halloween, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.

Have a Rock-A-Thon

Get a rocking chair and have members of your organization take turns for a twenty-four hour period rocking in the student union. Charge participants $5 to rock for 5 minutes or have participants collect pledges for their hour of rocking.

Coordinate a “Wish Upon a Star Event”

Create and sell construction paper stars or Make-A-Wish Foundation^® star cut-outs for $1.00 each.

Dollar drive

Encourage people on campus to donate $1. Devise creative ways for 100% participation.

Survivor kits

During mid-terms or finals, sell “survivor kits” full of munchies to keep up students’ energy during late night study sessions.

Signature chefs

Solicit chefs to donate their time and cook at someone’s home for a party. Another idea is to have a chef’s tasting event. Charge admission or pay for cooking lessons.

Dinner with notable people

Solicit various notables (coaches, professors, local celebrities, disc jockeys, etc.) to have dinner at people’s homes in exchange for a contribution to the Foundation.

Cook-off

Include other campus organizations in the competition. Structured like a chili cook-off, voting is done by collecting money in a jar and donating the funds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Recycled can collection

Hold a recycled can collection on campus and donate the proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Other Ideas

Talent show, Fashion show, Dating game, Concert with a local band, Scavenger hunt, Giant Twister match, Spaghetti dinner, and Campus garage sale.

Read more about The Program, read some inspirational Success Stories, or find out how to Get Involved.