Pueblo County High raising funds to make 6-year-old's wish come true

Pueblo County High School is collecting community donations this week to help Cash, a local 6-year-old, build a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in his backyard.

Donations are part of this year's "Wish Week," a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in which Pueblo County High School has participated since 2018. This year's Wish Week kicked off with a "Glow Gold Spirit Day" on Thursday, March 9, and will culminate with a "Wish Granting Assembly" on Wednesday, March 15, where Cash and his family will be presented with a check of funds raised throughout the week.

Wish Week festivities have been planned for months by students in the school's DECA marketing education program.

"The whole thing is student run ... I have to say, I don't think I have ever seen a more giving community than the Pueblo County community," said Desiree Bowlby, a first-year business teacher and DECA advisor at the high school.

Cash is this year's Wish Week sponsor. Hours after his birth, he received hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and pulmonary valve stenosis diagnoses — conditions that required a heart transplant and several hospitalizations. Now almost 7 years old, Cash and his family recently celebrated an entire year without a hospitalization, according to Make-A-Wish Colorado.

For his wish, Cash wants his backyard to be remodeled to have a clubhouse complete with a "Mousekadoer," large light switches, a "Toodles" and "Handy Helpers" as seen in the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" television show. Outside of his enthusiasm for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cash enjoys the color red, the shows "Peppa Pig" and "Paw Patrol," miniature golf, spending time with his family and his chocolate Labrador, Demi.

Community members will have opportunities to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and make Cash's wish come true throughout the week, including a "Wish Dish Night" with local food trucks at the high school on Monday, March 13, from 5-7 p.m. A portion of sales generated through the food truck event will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Another Wish Dish Night will be held at Old Chicago, 3204 N. Elizabeth St., from 5-7 p.m. on March 14.

Food trucks expected to be present at the March 13 event include Steel City Cafe, Rio Grind Cafe, Mane Brew Coffee and Ground Pounder Mobile Coffee. Portions of proceeds made from a previous Wish Dish Night held at Buffalo Wild Wings on March 9 also will fund the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Additionally, Make-A-Wish t-shirts, stars and bracelets may be purchases throughout Wish Week at Pueblo County High.

Typically, it costs about $7,500 for Make-A-Wish to grant a child's wish. Pueblo County High School raised about $26,000 for the foundation last year, granting 12-year-old Mikaela Naylor's wish to go scuba diving in Florida with extra funds to spare for two more wishes. This year's Wish Week may generate even more, as donations have been rising each year of Pueblo County High School's partnership with Make-A-Wish.

Donations can be made to grant the wishes of Cash and other children on the Wish Week donation page.

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo County High raising funds for Make-A-Wish this week