A large number of Northern Michigan University student-athletes surround Indie Bates, seated at center, and her family after the NMU Student Athletic Advisory Committee raised $10,000 through the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help the family travel for a vacation to Disney World in Florida. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — There’s still time to participate in the 2026 Make-A-Wish Wish Week being conducted by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee at Northern Michigan University.

The week kicked off Sunday and runs through Saturday after last year’s fundraising effort by the NMU SAAC reached its $10,000 goal to help fund a trip for Upper Peninsula resident Indie Bates and her family to go to Disney World in Florida.

The university raised more than $3,000 during Wish Week a year ago and had already reached that figure this year before the current timeline even began.

SAAC fundraising committee chair Kalina Ceglinski said the student group is determined to reach is goal to grant another U.P. family their wish.

“We are excited to be continuing our Make-A-Wish fundraising,” Ceglinski, a nationally top-ranked diver on the Wildcats’ women’s swimming and diving team, said in an NMU Sports Information news release about their efforts. “Please join us this upcoming week at the events we are hosting to help us reach our $10,000 goal.”

After several events kicked off the fund-raising campaign last weekend, more are set for later this week.

They include Cruisin’ Coffee featuring all during the week its Drink of the Week, a beverage that is not only 10% off, but with parts of the proceeds going toward the Make-A-Wish effort.

SAAC will feature its popular Pie to the Face event it offered last year, running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. Open to NMU students, faculty and staff, any of those people can make a donation to pie almost anyone at the university, including coaches, professors and even your friends.

There will be a Miracle Minute held during the men’s and women’s basketball games played at Vandament Arena on Thursday afternoon and evening against Michigan Tech. This event has student-athletes walk through the stands, collecting as many cash donations as they can in 60 seconds. SAAC will also have paddles with a scannable QR code taking contributors directly to an online link for those without the cash on hand.

The Wildcats’ final home hockey game of the season on Saturday night against Lake Superior State includes a silent auction for NMU-branded gear as well as another Miracle Minute.

For those unable to partake in any of these events but would still like to donate, look for the Make-A-Wish online page at https://secure2.wish.org/site/TR/NationalCampaign/Make-A-WishAmerica?fr_id=6984&pg=entry, or for more information, email NMU compliance assistant and special events coordinator Zack Survillas at zsurvill@nmu.edu.

Wish Week is part of the Make-A-Wish Kids for Wish Kids program, giving students a chance to raise funds to help grant life-changing wishes for youths with critical illnesses.

Students are responsible for the program, from brainstorming fundraising ideas to developing a plan of action and then seeing their ideas come to life. Teachers and parents often serve as advisors, but ownership of the project belongs solely to the students involved.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the event. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.