ROGERS, Ark. — Emma Alexander will soon pack her bags for her dream vacation to Hawaii after the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Rogers High DECA Club raised enough money to make the 10-year-old's dreams come true.
Emma arrived at the Rogers High School (RHS) stadium on March 13 with a police escort where a full-blown celebration awaited!
There were cheer, dance and band performances along with special gifts from the school sports team.
Emma released 12 doves and got the biggest surprise of an airplane banner that few above reading the words "Aloha Emma!"
"I chose Hawaii because I know it has a really pretty scenery and view," said Emma.
She says she also chose the destination because she has never been to the beach before or flown on a plane and with her wish being granted, she will get to enjoy both for the first time.
RHS DECA Advisor Tom Woodruff says money is raised through the DECA program for the Make-A-Wish Foundation through "Rattle Dem Buckets", where students go into hallways with buckets and those wanting to donate would toss money inside.
The program also raised money through a faculty-student basketball game.
"It's important to learn at an early age to give back and help other people. There's an old saying that it's not about what you gather in life, it's about what you scatter," said Woodruff.
Nick Lambson, RHS DECA president, says it means a lot to be able to give back to a deserving family in the community.
Emma and her family have not said when they will make the trip, but they are surely looking forward to it!
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.