Staples students have a never-ending wish list: tickets to the next big concert, a brand new iPhone 4S, or that cool new T-shirt. These wishes are usually granted by the swift swipe of a parent’s credit card, and a quick thank you will usually do.
However, the wish of a terminally ill 18-year-old boy to build his own computer out of new parts is one that appeals to the heart and brings Westporters back to reality.
Local businesses such as Wishlist, JL Rocks, and Saraswati’s Yoga Joint teamed up with 10 Staples students and one Weston student to work to grant the wish of Kendall, a Connecticut boy with a passion for technology. Kendall also is battling a life-threatening medical condition.
“I practice yoga regularly at ‘Saras’ and buy all my clothes at Wishlist, so I knew we could work in tandem and fuse together very well. We even call ourselves ‘the three sister stores,’” said Jamie Camche, owner of JL Rocks. “Make A Wish is such a wonderful organization; how could it not have targeted our hearts?”
Camche sought out many friends of her daughter, Elizabeth Camche ’14, to help out and join the cause. From requesting participation through inboxes on Facebook to statuses advertising the shirts, Camche felt that social networking became a crucial tool.
“Live in a world you wish to live in” was the slogan coined by Saraswati’s and was created artistically by a student of the yoga joint who also happens to be a graphic designer. “My husband has a line that says, ‘Stop living in a wishful thinking world, and live in a world you wish to love in.’ It is all about choosing the life you are creating, rather than just being victim… And who doesn’t love a cool T-Shirt with a great message?” said Tracy Bleier, owner of Saraswati’s.
Most of the student volunteers were the children of Camche’s friends. One of these volunteers was Katie Glick ’13. “I have many close friends who have been impacted by cancer and I have seen how sad it can be,”said Glick. “Knowing this made me so eager to help out and makes me want to continue volunteering with Make A Wish and other cancer-affiliated organizations.”
The volunteers worked for months trying to sell as many of the grey T-Shirts in pursuit of reaching their goal of $5,000. “We were so proud of our community for making it happen. And when we were able to announce to everyone that we did it, it was a great feeling. All smiles! What a beautiful thing we all shared because so many people were involved in the experience,” said an enthused Bleier.
When Kendall received his brand new computer parts, he described himself to Make A Wish workers as feeling “like a kid with a magic box!” At Saraswati’s, a picture of Kendall with his new computer now sits permanently at the front desk.
Just the sight of this picture will remind yoga participants and volunteers of the amazing deed done by the hard work of three local businesses and 11 high school students.
