Lauren Nelson should begin to self-identify as a mover and a shaker. Besides being the Events Coordinator and a writer for Her Campus UWM, she chooses to consistently work her tail off to improve the lives of her peers.
On April 23, 2017, Lauren hosted, organized, and ran a huge Make-A-Wish fundraiser at Sneakers Bar and Grill in Janesville, Wisconsin. All proceeds from the fundraiser would be sent directly to a little boy named Henry who was fighting a life-threatening neurological condition.
Although the preparation process for this big fundraiser was daunting, Lauren faced it head on with grace and determinism. She planned and organized for over 4 months sending invitations, contacting businesses, advertising, and planning the events of the fundraiser day.
There were 10 rounds of raffles, online donations, and a silent auction that helped to rack up over $7,500! As if the day couldn’t get any better, it was significantly enhanced when Henry himself showed up. Through a teary smile, Lauren got to give Henry a big hug and personally hand him several baskets of goodies.
“I don’t know what could’ve topped it.” Lauren said that meeting Henry and seeing his huge smile made all of the hard work of putting together the event worth it.
Lauren has always had a special connection to the Make-A-Wish foundation because she was once in Henry’s shoes. She was victorious against her own battle with childhood cancer and was given her own Make-A-Wish wish. Her wish just happened to be the exact same wish as Henry’s: going to the Give Kids The World Village in Florida. This “village” is a sort of amusement park-like center for children who are fighting life-threatening illnesses. This magical place gives each child a happy and exciting trip to motivate and strengthen them as they continue on through their treatments.
About a week before the event, Lauren went to the Make-A-Wish offices to pick up some supplies. While on a tour of the offices, she passed by a wall where all of the wishes they had ever granted to their Wish Kids were on display. Lauren quickly searched the wall and was able to find her name! She left the office knowing that the real reason she was planning this event was so that she could add one more name to that wall.
Lauren even went so far as to say that she would drop everything for the opportunity to work full-time for an organization like Make-A-Wish. She knows that the purest joy in life comes from serving others, especially those who need our help. It’s safe to say that this Make-A-Wish didn’t just help grant Henry’s wish, but Lauren’s too.