For 12 years, Sequim High’s leadership class has helped students and staff get in the spirit of giving.

Whether it’s by purchasing a plane ticket to see a loved one or giving away candy bars, the annual Winter Wishes assembly has brought a lot of smiles and some happy tears to the school’s gymnasium.

One of the approximate 250 wishes granted during and after the Dec. 19 assembly went to Sequim junior Victoria Lelle who received a high-end softball bat from 360 Health and Fitness for fastpitch season after making a wish.

“I didn’t think I’d get it,” she said due to their high cost.

“This school is really good about helping people get what they want. I’m really grateful for it.”

See more photos from the assembly here.

Wishes vary a lot but are rarely impractical, says Allison Van De Wege, a Leadership class student and SHS senior.

“Of course there’s always going to be people asking for round-trips to Australia, but we always try and grant something that has a lot of meaning behind it if we’re going to grant a large gift,” said Alissa Lofstrom, a junior and Leadership student.

Demand matters, too.

Leadership students said 14 people asked that sophomore Gianna Halo, including herself, receive a new bike.

“The bike had a lot of people wanting it to happen, and when it’s that popular we try and make it happen” Van De Wege said.

Make it so

Senior Liam Payne said this year they were able to get most of the things people asked for thanks to a new system suggested by Assistant Principal Kristi Queen.

Using a Google document, the class sent out a request sheet of wishes to parents/guardians to see if they’d be willing to help, and they were with more than 100 wishes granted through the system, said senior Shayli Schuman.

Many of the donations come as in-kind donations, such as 200 cupcakes from That Takes the Cake for a cupcake eating competition or a fishing pole from Batson Enterprises.

“Last year, we went through Walmart with a couple of carts and this year we had a shopping cart half full because so many parents brought (wishes) in,” Payne said.

Student are given the opportunity to wish for themselves and someone else. They can also ask to give to the Salvation Army’s giving tree.

No one knows if they’re getting anything prior to the assembly, Leadership students say.

“Every year, we try and see if they’ve gotten something in the past,” Lofstrom said. “Our goal is that by the time you graduate you have at least one wish granted.”

Sequim sophomore Anna Fankhouser wasn’t expecting to get a PlayStation 3 and a few video games for the gaming console.

Her first thoughts, she said, “was a mix of happy and ‘is this real?’”

Commitment

Schuman, a first year Leadership student, co-chaired Winter Wishes despite not actually being enrolled. She doesn’t need the credit but still comes daily at 7 a.m. with the goal to connect Running Start students at Peninsula College with the high school.

“I felt lost last year (as a P.C. Student),” she said. I want to make sure more people at the college knew what was happening at the high school their senior year too. A lot of people want to be part of it still, but they don’t know what’s happening.”

She helped revamp the assembly this year to make it more engaging.

“It had gotten into a little bit monotonous,” Payne said. “Come on down and get your wish and go back into the stands.”

This year they incorporated a “wrap battle” where each grade sent two representatives to wrap themselves in wrapping paper. A few other competitions included students eating 50 cupcakes as fast as they could, and playing Capture the Flag.

Leadership students also opted to bring most of the gifts to students later in the day, such as memberships to the YMCA of Sequim, JCPenney gift cards and various candies and toys.

A few of the many highlights at the Winter Wishes included multiple clubs and classes sponsoring gifts, such as the National Honor Society purchasing a laptop, Teacher Laura Gould knitting several items for students and staffers, and Teacher Sonja Miller’s classes each raising funds for a different wish.

Students Arlene Law and Maggie van Dyken also got to put pies in the faces of Teacher Isaac Rapelje and student Isabelle Hugoniot for raising the most money for Breast Cancer research in October.

For more information on Sequim High School’s Winter Wishes, call the school at 360-582-3600.

Teacher Jon Eekhoff presents Ella Hetzel, center, some books about the brain at the Winter Wishes assembly. Eekhoff sustained a head injury earlier this year and wanted to emphasize the importance of neurologists. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Brandon Adams receives a big hug from fellow members of the Sequim FFA on Dec. 19. The club worked together to pay for an official FFA sweatshirt for him for the Winter Wishes assembly. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Chris Buckla, center, receives free driver’s education courses during the Winter Wishes assembly presented by Tommy Hall and Jarrett Allen. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Sequim sophomore Anna Fankhouser receives a PlayStation 3 and a few video games for her wish from Tommy Hall, left, and Jarrett Allen. She said her first thoughts were “a mix of happy and ‘is this real?’” Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Students Maggie van Dyken, second from left, and Arlene Law put pies in Teacher Isaac Rapelje and Student Isabelle Hugoniot’s faces during the Winter Wishes assembly. In October, students won a contest for earning the most for breast cancer research and selected Rapelje to receive the pie. Hugoniot participated for fun. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Victoria Lelle smiles as she walks from center court after receiving a baseball bat during the Winter Wishes assembly. Lelle said she didn’t think she’d get the bat. “This school is really good about helping people get what they want. I’m really grateful for it,” she said.

On Dec. 18, Sequim High Leadership students, from left, Shayli Schuman, Allison Van De Wege, Alissa Lofstrom and Liam Payne ready gifts for unsuspecting students at the Winter Wishes assembly the next morning. To mix it up this year, a few presents were given away at the assembly like a bat, shoes, and fishing pole but others were given away later in the day. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

The night before the Winter Wishes assembly, Liam Payne, right, works with Alissa Lofstrom, left, and Shayli Schuman on building a bike for Gianna Halo. Fourteen people, including Halo, asked the Leadership class to help get her a bike.