During the 2020-21 academic year, Division II schools raised nearly $200,000 as part of their ongoing partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness. Since 2003, Division II schools have donated more than $6.6 million and granted over 770 wishes.
"Our partnership with Make-A-Wish is more than a partnership. We draw strength from our courageous Make-A-Wish kids, and our partnership allows us to be a part of their stories," said Mackenzie O'Neill, the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee chair and a former Missouri Western soccer player. "Our student-athletes are passionate about making a difference, which is why Make-A-Wish has been and will continue to be a priority in Division II."
Despite a second-straight academic year significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, seven schools raised at least $10,000, which is the average cost of granting a wish. Those seven schools automatically earned a wish reveal celebration. Four other schools earned wish reveals through the supplemental funds based on an allocation model adopted six years ago. The allocation model allows money from Division II championships and enforcement fines to supplement institutional fundraising to help schools host a wish reveal celebration on their campus.
New Haven led all schools with more than $17,000 raised in the 2020-21 academic year, while the Northeast-10 Conference led all Division II leagues with more than $31,000 raised.
"I am incredibly proud of the selflessness and humility of our Division II community and our ability to come together during a season of change and uncertainty in college athletics," O'Neill said. "Despite the challenges and hardships faced in the 2020-21 academic year, our student-athletes found ways to rise up and support an organization that grants life-changing wishes of hope and joy to children and families across the United States."
Schools earning wish reveals
- New Haven, $17,771.
- Lindenwood, $14,726.
- Adelphi, $13,448.01.
- Holy Names, $11,199.
- North Georgia, $10,641.01.
- Dallas Baptist University, $10,080.
- Bloomsburg, $10,015.
- Augustana (South Dakota), $7,721.
- Gannon, $6,873.07.
- Missouri S&T, $6,711.69.
- Northwestern Oklahoma State, $6,000.
