Wishmakers on Campus®
Dance Marathon
Charge an entrance fee or ask students to collect pledges businesses to participate. Pick a time frame for the marathon — we suggest twelve hours. Have fun themes for each hour.
Host a Bachelor(ette) auction
Ask each dorm, sports team and student group to have one representative volunteer to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Create programs with the major and hobbies of each person.
Coordinate a tournament
Post flyers. Invite student groups to participate. Ask restaurants to donate prizes. Charge admission and sell t-shirts.
Have a bowl-a-thon
Have participants collect pledges based on how many pins they hope to knock down or charge a flat fee to participate. The student who raise the most get a prize.
Host a concert with a local band
Contact a popular local band and plan a concert. Hold it on campus or at a local bar that will donate the cover charge to Make-A-Wish.
Organize a 5K Walk For Wishes®
Charge an entrance fee or have people collect pledges. Invite student groups and the community to participate. Get refreshments and prizes donated by local businesses.
Plan a jail-a-thon
Elect a few people to be the deputies. Students pay to have their friends and professors arrested. Those arrested are taken to a roped-off spot on campus. They can pay bail or stay for their entire sentence, approximately 10 minutes.
Plan a party
Host a Halloween, end-of-semester, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day party. Ask each student to make a $3 or $5 donation at the door.
Have a hot-dog-eating contest
Charge participants a $10 entry fee or ask them to collect a minimum in pledges to participate. Set a time limit for the contest and ask local restaurants or grocery stores to donate the hot dogs and buns.
Sell holiday candy-grams
For a $1 donation, students purchase a small candy bar and write a secret message to a friend. Each message is attached to the candy bar and delivered on Halloween, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
Have a rock-a-thon
Get a rocking chair and have members of your organization take turns for a 24-hour period rocking in the student union. Charge participants $5 to rock for 5 minutes or have participants collect pledges for their hour of rocking.
Have a “Wish Upon a Star” event
Create and sell construction paper stars or Make-A-Wish star cut-outs for $1 each.
Dollar drive
Encourage people on campus to donate $1. Devise creative ways for 100 percent participation.
Survivor kits
During midterms or finals, sell “survivor kits” full of munchies to keep up students’ energy during late-night study sessions.
Signature chefs
Solicit chefs to donate their time and cook at someone’s home for a party. Another idea is to have a chef’s tasting event. Charge admission or pay for cooking lessons.
Dinner with notable people
Solicit various notables (coaches, professors, local celebrities, deejays, etc.) to have dinner at people’s homes in exchange for a donation.
Cook-off
Include other campus organizations in the competition. Structured like a chili cook-off, voting is done by collecting money in a jar and donating the funds to Make-A-Wish.
Recycled can collection
Hold a recycled can collection on campus and donate the proceeds to Make-A-Wish.
Other ideas
Talent show, fashion show, dating game, scavenger hunt, giant twister match, spaghetti dinner and campus garage sale.