INDIANPOLIS - During the 2019-20 academic year, Division II schools collectively raised more than $200,000 as part of their ongoing partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) continued to use an allocation model, which allows money from Division II championships and enforcement fines to supplement institutional fundraising to help schools host a wish reveal celebration on their campus. 

Despite fundraising challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, three schools raised at least $10,000, which is the average cost of granting a wish. Those three schools automatically earned a wish reveal celebration. Five other schools earned wish reveals through the supplemental funds based on the allocation model. 

Wish reveal parties provide an outlet for the whole community to get involved in the wish process and rally around the selected Wish individual.

The University of Findlay was one of eight Division II schools who earned a wish reveal and one of five who earned the reveal through the allocation model. 

Findlay raised $7,200 to help grant life-changing wishes for children through the Make-A-Wish foundation, officially ranking among the highest totals fundraised institutionally on a Division II national level. 

“The Make-A-Wish Foundation creates unique opportunities for children with life-threatening conditions and being a part of that impactful experience is what drives our commitment at UF; what feels like such a small role at the time comes to reality when you see the joy on a child’s face,” said Findlay Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor Caitlin Bamberger. 

“Being involved in Make-A-Wish has been an amazing experience for our student-athletes and has been a great opportunity for all of us to come together as a community to give back,” added Findlay SAAC president, Allie Kasprzyk. “It has definitely been one of my favorite parts of being involved in SAAC!”

Information on Findlay’s wish reveal will be announced at a later date.