About the Taylor 3 Wish Club

This past summer, there was a devastating flood in Iowa, but Cedar Rapids was impacted the most. Hundreds of businesses and homes were destroyed, and Taylor Elementary was also left in shambles. It had to close, and every child that attended was forced to relocate. The children are dispersed everywhere: to over 50 different schools. Sometimes siblings were even sent to different schools. The Taylor neighborhood was not prosperous to begin with, and now it is in ruin. Changing schools, under any circumstances, would be quite difficult for any child. Besides losing touch with friends, the children of Taylor Elementary also lost their homes and possessions.

The inspiration for this club came from a 10 year old boy, Elijah Bahati. He is my father’s little brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and has become a part of our family. He attended Taylor, and we got to see first hand how tough it was for him to change schools.

And that is how the Wash-Taylor 3 Wish Club got started. Our idea was to give every child the opportunity to make three wishes- one big, one medium, and one small. The sky’s the limit! We couldn’t do much about getting their school reopened, but everyone would love to have three wishes!

Our hope is not to turn to local businesses for donations (because they are also run dry from the flood expenses), but to make it an international affair. We will try our best to spread the word across the world, and reach kind people willing to donate. People can make a cash donation or select a wish to grant from the list provided on the website.

Thanks for visiting the site, and please: Spread the word!

-Hannah Wheeler, president

All children who attended Taylor Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, IA for more than half of the 2007-2008 school year are eligible.