There’s a reason Longmont Public Library was the chosen location of meeting this year’s Make-A-Wish kid.
Besides dinosaurs and spiderman, there’s one thing six year old Dre loves most—trains. Longmont is often visited by BNSF Railway freight locomotives, making orange trains a common sight in the area.
Yet Longmont Public Library itself is especially important to Dre, as he dreams of owning a constructed replica of the facility’s displayed model train. Featuring moving toy vehicles, mini-sized mountains and even dinosaur figurines, it’s a culmination of everything he’s passionate about.
At 12:30 Jan. 31, Student Council and Rockmedia gathered at Longmont Public Library––cameras in hand and school merch on—in preparation to meet Dre and welcome him into the Jaguar family.
“Dre came in, and we had this whiteboard,” Senior Class Vice President Grace Gibbs ‘26 said. “We had drawn a train on it, and we helped him color it. Then he showed us the train he wished for, and it was really cool. It seemed really personal to him.”
This love for trains has been Dre’s safe space as he has dealed with a difficult medical journey. Throughout his life, he has faced vision challenges as well as a cancer diagnosis, undergoing several medical treatments and optometrist visits. Yet despite his struggles, he remains strong in facing them.
“My favorite thing that I love about him is that he’s just goofy,” Dre’s mother Alexis said. “He’s silly and bright, that no matter what cloud is over my head, he just makes the sun shine. He is my sunshine.”
During the meetup, Dre and his mother recorded a brief interview played at the Wish Week Opening Assembly Feb. 27. For the rest of the time, he and Student Council participated in an afternoon of childhood games.
Outside the library, they laughed together as they ran races, played Duck, Duck, Goose, competed in tag and more. The meet up concluded with group photos, where Dre and Student Council shared their “train noises” with smiling faces.
“It was so much fun,” Student Body Secretary Rory Geis ‘26 said. “I loved meeting Dre. He has just the biggest personality and the biggest heart. You can just tell that he’s so protective of his family and his mom and his baby sister. It’s just so cool that we can do this, and I just can’t wait for the whole school to just be a part of Dre’s wish and make it happen.”
The rest of the student body met Dre when he rode into the Jungle on a mini train with his mother and little sister at the Wish Week opening assembly Feb. 27. The stands cheered at his reveal and listened to him answer a set of personal questions about his passions and love for the Longmont Public Library’s model train. Student Council closed the assembly with the “Miracle Minute” event, in which attendees together donated $4,087 in cash within a minute.
The following weekend, the community gathered for Walk for Wishes at the school from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 28. Multiple clubs, businesses and food trucks collaborated during the event to fundraise through various goods and services, including hair tinsel, henna, snacks and more.
Meanwhile, three separate walks around the campus occurred throughout the four hours to honor previous Wish Kids throughout the years. Jags Go Pink, a club centered around breast cancer awareness and support, offered glitter tattoos for a dollar each during the event.
“We do glitter tattoos at all of our other events because it’s really fun, and it’s something that is super joyful,” Jags Go Pink President Cierra Lorenz ‘26 said. “I love all the different activities you can do [at Walk for Wishes], and I do love the face paint and how all the clubs show up for support.”
On the same day, the Wish Week Pickle Ball Tournament took place at Lifetime Centennial. A newly introduced event, it proved popular after all slots sold out by Feb. 27. The game was won by doubles team Sam Graham ‘28 and Clayton Bell ‘28.
“With our new pickleball tournament, it really brings the community together and is really lighting up this kid’s week,” Student Council Representative Bella Robison ‘26 said.
Sunday night March 1, Student Council held the first Wish Week Minecraft Bed-Wars Tournament from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 15 teams participated for a total of 30 players, each required to pay $5 to compete, and the live stream link was released for any interested viewers. The team “The Miners” won the Bedrock Edition of the game, while the team “White Fried Rice” won the Java Edition.
Evening activities weren’t limited to the weekend only. Students crowded the Jungle Monday night to watch the annual Blacklight Dodgeball Tournament March 2. Opening at 6 p.m., audience members paid a $5 entrance fee to experience high energy and neon lights. Competitors were required to fulfill a $10 per player fee, and the winning team, the “Baseballers,” earned bragging rights from the game.
Kyle Rogge ‘27 competed under the team named “Notorious Uncles.”
“[Blacklight Dodgeball] was super fun,” Kyle Rogge said. “It was cool being able to wear our outfits, everybody looked unique.”
Then, the first ever Wish Week Poker Night was hosted at the school Wednesday at 5 p.m. March 4. Players paid a $20 entrance fee and bluffed the night away in hopes of seeing victory. The winner earned the opportunity to meet and eat cake with Dre.
Evening activities concluded with Thursday’s Movie Night at Legacy Campus March 5. Two separate movies were screened, Jurassic Park (Dre’s favorite movie) at 5 p.m. and F1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets costed $10 and were granted on a first come, first serve basis.
Student Council Melanie Sniezyk ‘28 greeted students upon arrival at Legacy Campus before the films began.
“I think it’s really fun to get to work with my fellow StuCo members,” Sniezyk said. “Just seeing all the people come together to support Dre’s wish”.
During Tuesday and Thursday lunches and Access periods, students had the chance to take part in “Dare to Share Your Hair.” Participants either bought hair tinsel for $1 a piece or received haircuts from cosmetology students from Bellisimo Blu Salon and Academy for $5. Money raised during the event was put towards Dre’s wish.
Lily Bailey ‘27 was one of the cosmetology students working during “Dare to Share Your Hair.”
“At Bellisimo Blu, we have been preparing with practice and keeping our spirits up so that not only we can have a good time at Dare to Share Your Hair, but students can too,” Bailey said. “We are so stoked that we can have fun cutting hair, and make everyone feel a part of the process to support Dre’s wish.”
Throughout the week, Student Council also collaborated with multiple restaurants and businesses to further fundraise to the Make-A-Wish cause, including Cuba Cuba, Mod Pizza, Shake Shack and more. A portion of the proceeds received from participating students was put towards granting Dre’s wish
Saige Tinker ‘27 visited Twisted Sugar Feb. 28, one of the donating restaurants for that day.
“I love going to the Wish Week events and supporting places because it helps me feel more a part of our school community,” Tinker said.
From Monday through Thursday, students dressed up according to Spirit Day prompts, all planned by Student Council to match Dre’s favorite things. The hallways were flooded with outfits that suited the “Start Your Engines,” “Dress to Impress,” “We Heart Dre” and “Camo Out” themes.
Wish Week officially concluded with the closing ceremony March 6, students eagerly awaiting the reveal of the total sum of money raised. Attendees were asked to wear their 2026 Wish Week shirts, which were sold throughout the week by Student Council as Wish Kits.
The assembly opened with dancing dinosaurs, a musical performance and a karaoke battle by Anna Schnitzspahn ‘29, followed by the pieing of math teacher Austin Bennett, who raised $4,731 across all his class periods total. Dre danced along to the music as the stands cheered him on.
At the end, Student Council revealed Jaguars had raised a record total of $107,307.02 dollars that granted the wishes of 13 Make-A-Wish kids.
This achievement marked the 150th wish granted in the school’s history. Blue confetti flew through the air as students set off confetti poppers upon hearing the news, and Dre filled the Jungle with an energetic thank-you to the Jaguar family.
“A wish is not just about one day or one experience,” Make-a-Wish Colorado Director of Community Development Sarah Grosh said. “It’s about restoring the belief that there is something beautiful on the other side of pain. That is what you guys have truly done this week.”
Puja • Mar 31, 2026 at 8:25 pm
I really enjoyed this article because it showed how the whole community came together to support Dre. The details about the events and his story made it really meaningful and inspiring. I’d love to see more coverage like this that highlights student impact and school spirit.
Saanvi • Mar 28, 2026 at 7:17 pm
I liked how the article balanced emotion with school spirit. It showed both Dre’s story and how the whole community came together in a really uplifting way.
Tristan Llado • Mar 27, 2026 at 9:04 am
I really love how this article goes into depth about all the different activities that were offered for fundraising during Wish Week. As someone who experienced it firsthand and really loved the experience, I think that the article really captured the joy that comes with Wish Week, and the efforts of the entire student body to grant Dre’s wish.