For more than 20 years, springtime at Lakeview Elementary School in Mahopac meant one thing: the highly anticipated Student vs. Staff Basketball Fundraiser.

For the entirety of her career at Lakeview, beloved third grade teacher Denise Hembury helped lead the annual tradition, bringing students, teachers, families, and the community together to help make wishes come true for children facing critical illnesses.

What began in 1996 as a fun school event grew into something far more meaningful. Each year, students and staff rallied around one shared goal: raising enough to help grant a wish. Over two decades, those efforts added up to tens of thousands of dollars raised, including a record-breaking $22,000 in 2017… enough to help grant two wishes that year.

But what made the tradition so special wasn’t just the fundraising totals. It was the pride, excitement, and heart behind every moment.

After each game, students eagerly called our Wish House to announce the year’s final total over speakerphone to our cheering staff. They also created large hand-drawn banners commemorating the amount raised each year - visible reminders of the difference they had made together. For our Make-A-Wish team and volunteers, attending the game became a tradition in itself, with the gym filled each year with wish-granting energy, laughter, and an unmistakable sense of purpose.

That same dedication carried far beyond the basketball court.

Each holiday season, Denise’s third graders also participated in Macy’s annual ‘Believe’ Campaign, writing heartfelt letters to Santa and placing them in Macy’s North Pole mailbox, where each letter helped generate a donation to grant wishes for children battling critical illnesses. What initially felt like a simple holiday tradition to the students became an opportunity to help create hope for kids they may never meet, but deeply cared about nonetheless.

Year after year, Denise helped her students understand that even small acts of kindness can have an extraordinary impact. Through every game played, banner painted, and letter written, Denise helped inspire generations of students to lead with empathy and understand the power of helping others.

As we celebrate 40 Years of Wishes, Denise and Lakeview Elementary School’s story is a reminder that lasting impact often begins in the heart of a community - and with people who continue showing up, year after year, to make a difference.