By Rosemary Daniels | Correspondent

The Make-a-Wish Foundation came to have a special meaning for students at Red Bank Catholic High School last spring. Sophomores and juniors in physics teacher Ashleigh Kennedy’s classes learned her daughter was dealing with a life-threatening illness.

In February 2010, Ashleigh and her husband Patrick rushed four-year old Kasey to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital because their pediatrician suspected she had a rare form of leukemia. What followed was three long years of follow-up visits to RWJ, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Johns Hopkins of Baltimore, and repeated visits to local hospitals. Over this arduous time, doctors determined that Kasey has the “Philadelphia Chromosome,” a marker linked to a rare leukemia known as chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML. As a result, she is afflicted with many of the symptoms of leukemia, such as nose bleeds, headaches, high fevers, and extreme pain in her stomach and bones. These symptoms are ongoing, and Kasey misses several schools days at St. James School each year because of them.

Seeing the toll that Kasey’s illness has taken on her and her family, Ashleigh’s students were moved to action to make a difference in the lives of children like Kasey, and their families.

Juniors Abbie Perri, Anna Pelligra, Katie Bogan and Jillian Crosby recruited a group of 20 like-minded students and called themselves the RBC Making Wishes Come True Club. With the help of Kennedy and Kasey, the girls joined forces with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and founded the annual Make-a-Wish Carnival at RBC.

With the introduction of the Make a Wish Come True carnival, RBC has become part of a network of 25,000 national volunteers who enrich the lives of children ages two to 18 battling daunting illnesses.

Kennedy and her family were able to observe firsthand the families who had been granted wishes during the course of their treatments. Kennedy said, “Kasey told us that if she were ever offered a wish, she would like to give it back to some of other children she saw in Children’s Hospital who experienced tougher treatment regimens and longer hospital stays. Patrick and I saw the benefits not just to the children, who were motivated to push a little bit harder to get better, but to the families, who really take the brunt of a long-term illness.”

 In its first year, the carnival was open to RBC and St. James families and drew in 300 visitors, raising over $4500. As a result, the club was able to grant the wish of a five-year old New Jersey girl with dermatoyosistis, whose wish was to go to Disney World and meet Rapunzel. 

Club officer Mary Beth Lynn was part of a group that got to meet the beneficiary at the annual chapter dinner in November. The 17-year-old senior from Middletown said, “It was so great to talk to her. During her trip, she met ALL the princesses, and they read her bed time stories. You could really see the impact the wish had on her.” 

 This year, the club has grown to over 60 members, and their 2013 carnival plans have grown commensurately. On May 11, they will be opening the event to the wider community. Posters are displayed in local businesses, and flyers have been distributed to neighboring schools. The word is also being spread via social media, as the event is on both Facebook and Twitter.

In order to meet their goal of being assigned a family, the group is determined to raise over $10,000 at the event. According to the www.nj.wish.org website, this will enable them to grant a wish of international travel or a cruise to a deserving child.

 The carnival will be held in Red Bank, on the St. James School parking lot, and will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Entry is free. Due to the generosity of local donors,  the carnival rides have expanded,  there will be special appearances by costumed characters, and musical entertainment will be provided. 

Volunteers from the Red Bank and Middletown Police Benevolent Association will man the dunk tank, and Red Bank is providing their vehicles for fire engine rides. For the adults, the carnival will feature a silent auction of more than 30 baskets donated by local businesses and RBC families.

A $20 All Access bracelet is available for children from ages two - 18, which includes unlimited access to all rides and games. Food vendors will donate a portion of their food sales that day. The club members are especially excited about a special guest appearance, but cannot reveal the guest’s identity until just before the event.

For those unable to attend the carnival but who still wish to contribute, Kasey has started an online fundraising campaign with a separate goal of $5000. To make a donation, visit Kasey’s website at http://friends.wish.org/003-000/page/Ashleigh-Kennedy/Red-Bank-Catholic-Make-A-Wish-Benefit-Carnival.htm.

According to Kennedy, 100 percent of the proceeds from the RBC carnival will go directly to their Make-A-Wish fund.