A dozen students are learning to be leaders in a new master’s of business administration course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Recently, these Leadership Immersion students put their skills to use in the Make-A-Wish Challenge, making dreams come true for six children.
A dozen students are learning to be leaders in a new master’s of business administration course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Recently, these Leadership Immersion students put their skills to use in the Make-A-Wish Challenge, making dreams come true for six children.
In a competition modeled after the television show “The Apprentice,” the MBA students were divided into three teams and given 48 hours to raise $6,500 to grant the wish of one child through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To generate donations, the teams organized a raffle to sell items signed by UNC-Chapel Hill sports luminaries Coach Dean Smith and Coach Roy Williams, set up a social networking campaign on Facebook, ran a bake sale, tapped into alumni connections, and solicited donations from faculty and staff.
In less than 48 hours (March 23-24), they raised more than $33,500 for the Eastern North Carolina Make-A-Wish chapter — enough for six children to have their dreams come true at Walt Disney World.
“The teams rose to the challenge and surpassed my highest expectations,” said Adam Grant, the UNC Kenan-Flagler professor who designed the Make-A-Wish Challenge. “It was a life-changing experience for many students.”
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Founded in 1986, the chapter serves all medically eligible children who reside in the 49 counties east of the Orange/Alamance county line.
UNC Kenan-Flagler contact: Heather Havenstein, (919) 962-8951, heather_havenstein@unc.edu
Make-A-Wish Foundation contact: Ziva Starr Raney, (919) 821-7111 ext. 206, zraney@eastncwish.org