The Psi Mu chapter of Chi Omega at the University of Central Florida is celebrating two major milestones in its long-standing partnership with Make-A-Wish® Central and Northern Florida.
The organization has raised over $300,000 since 2002 since the start of its collaboration with the nonprofit foundation, and recently hosted a ceremony for honoring 14-year-old Wish recipient Gabby Feliz.
Gabby, who has bravely battled Alagille syndrome for much of her life, will have her wish fulfilled in October with a dream trip to Walt Disney World alongside her family.
Each year, UCF’s Chi Omega hosts “Wish Week,” a series of events to reach its fundraising goals for Make-A-Wish® Central and Northern Florida. This year, Her Campus UCF had the privilege of attending the organization’s main event, “Camp Chi O,” on Sept. 19.
The event featured various camp-themed games, uniting the UCF community in support of Gabby. Having recently received a life-saving lung transplant, Gabby was present at the event to celebrate her upcoming trip and share her excitement with the crowd.
Chi Omega and Make-A-Wish have a long-standing relationship, with multiple sisters being involved in the nonprofit’s internship program. Kiera McKeever, a current Lead Wish Coordinator for Make-A-Wish® Central and Northern Florida, started her journey with Make-A-Wish through Chi O.
As Chi Omega’s Director of Community Service, McKeever said her love for nonprofits has grown through her work with Chi O, calling the $300,000 fundraising achievement “a really special, full circle moment” for her.
“I would love to see Make-A-Wish expand into all of our regions right now,” McKeever said. “We’re trying to tap into our panhandle area and just grow our community outreach and events like this with UCF and Chi Omega partnership that we have on a national level could definitely grow to every chapter in our region.”
McKeever also shared her hopes for her future endeavors and partnerships.
“This is just the beginning for me,” McKeever said. “I’m eager to continue working with nonprofits and Make-A-Wish, knowing that together, we can change lives.”
Savannah Day, a Make-A-Wish intern and Chi Omega member, shared how transformative the program has been both for her community and her personal growth. Through her role, she has seen firsthand how Make-A-Wish makes a profound difference in the lives of local families, while also helping her develop skills in collaboration and understanding how nonprofit organizations operate.
Day spoke about her personal connection to some of the wishes she has helped grant, recalling a recent case close to her heart.
“I love hearing about the wishes,” Day said. “One of the kids is from my hometown, which only has about 600 people. It really solidified how real and meaningful the impact of Make-A-Wish is.”
Another key figure in “Camp Chi O” is Lexi Trachtenberg, another current intern and Chi Omega Community Service director. Lexi reflected on how meaningful the experience has been, emphasizing how her involvement with both Make-A-Wish and Chi Omega has deepened her connection to community service.
“Through Chi O, I’ve seen firsthand how life-changing the organization is on Wish kids and their families,” Trachtenberg said. “But now, as an intern, I get to experience the inner workings. It’s given me a whole new perspective on the program. You can really feel the passion from all the employees and everyone involved with Make-A-Wish—they truly love what they do.”
Two Chi Omega seniors, Leah Silverman and Madison Morris, pointed out how much it means to them to be part of the Make-A-Wish cause.
“My favorite part is just generally raising the money for Make-A-Wish,” Silverman said. “I was actually lucky enough to go on a Make-A-Wish trip with my little brother. So it’s just really meaningful to be able to raise money throughout the whole week to give other kids the wishes and give them the opportunity that Make-A-Wish gave my family.”
Silverman and Morris shared how excited they were to see Gabby, and be a part of the event to celebrate her.
Makenzie Ganey, another Chi O member, expressed how events like “Camp Chi O” are very inspiring as it shows the impact that the organization has with all the people that come out and support Make-A-Wish and Gabby.
The festivities began with a self-written speech from Gabby. Slightly overwhelmed by the large crowd, she asked for McKeever to read it out loud for her. Gabby’s speech explained how her condition impacts her life, and some of her favorite things, including math class, Ariana Grande, and Selena Gomez.
Nervous and excited, Gabby stood with her family and overlooked the large crowd of people as McKeever read her speech. It was explained that she has a condition called Alagille syndrome, which impacts her liver. She mentioned how thankful she is for her donor of her recent transplant and their family, in a display of gratitude and kindness that was inherent to her speech.
Throughout everything she wrote, Gabby centered the focus on how helpful her family has been, and how much they mean to her.
“I have the best family in the world and I would give them the whole world,” Gabby wrote. “We go through a lot together, I’m not by myself. My mom and my sister give me so much support and I’m so thankful for that.”
She closed with a heartfelt message to the audience.
“I thought I would never make it this long, I tried to give up but my mom will never let me,” she wrote. “I’ve learned a lot from this and I will never give up and always think positive, and never think negative about myself. Just know, you are so awesome.”
At the heartwarming “Camp Chi O” event, the women of UCF’s Chi Omega and representatives from Make-A-Wish® Central and Northern Florida came together to give Gabby a special surprise—a gift basket packed with goodies to prepare her for her magical trip. The basket was overflowing with Minnie Ears, Disney-themed accessories, and everything Gabby would need to make her upcoming trip to Walt Disney World magical.
As they presented the basket, the Chi O sisters and Make-A-Wish team shared their excitement for Gabby’s journey, giving her a send-off and wishing her and her family the most enchanting trip ever.
When asked what she’s most excited about, Gabby didn’t hesitate.
“Spending a week at Disney because I’ve never done that, and I’m pretty proud that I’m doing it,” Gabby said. “Plus, it’s a family experience, so I’m happy.”
As a huge fan of The Little Mermaid, Gabby hopes to meet Ariel during her trip, having watched the movie more times than she can count.
Though she admitted feeling a little nervous about being celebrated by Chi O and Make-A-Wish during the “Wish Week” event, Gabby expressed just how much this momentous occasion and trip means to her and her family.
“It’s a dream come true that I never thought would actually happen,” Gabby said. “We’re struggling with a lot of things right now, so I didn’t know this was going to help us so much.”
With her sights set on Mickey waffles, and meeting Ariel and Stitch (her sister’s favorite), Gabby’s upcoming adventure is sure to bring the magic and joy that Make-A-Wish is known for.
Gabby’s mom, Carla Camacho, expressed deep gratitude for the impact Make-A-Wish has had on her daughter. She said it has given her something to look forward to on her darkest days.
As Gabby prepares to receive her wish to visit Disney World next month, Carla emphasized how the anticipation has brought a renewed sense of positivity during such a challenging time.
“It’s been a light of something better,” Camacho said, acknowledging the emotional toll Gabby’s health struggles have taken on their family.
As a lifelong Disney fan herself, Camacho is thrilled for the joyful experience that awaits the family, especially for her daughter. She described the journey to this point as tough but filled with hope for what’s ahead.
Camacho expressed deep appreciation for the Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida organization, not just for her own family, but for all the families navigating similar health challenges, commending the organization’s incredible work in creating life-changing wishes for children like Gabby.
Wishes, like Gabby’s, granted by Make-A-Wish have the unparalleled power to restore hope, reignite a child’s strength, and transform the lives of both the child and their support system during their most challenging times. For this, Make-A-Wish continues to be celebrated and cherished.