Hoover, Spain Park students grant wish of beach trip for 4-year-old Opelika boy
Four-year-old Henri Villatoro had a special reason to celebrate today at the city of Hoover’s Celebrate Hoover Day at Veterans Park.
Henri, an Opelika boy who was diagnosed with liver cancer before he was 8 months old and underwent a liver transplant before he was 2, was surprised with the news that he will get to go to the beach at the ocean for the first time in his life.
Students at Hoover and Spain Park high schools joined together to raise almost $15,000 this school year to send Henri and his family to Destin in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Alabama nonprofit.
They shared the news about his upcoming beach trip during the city of Hoover’s 50th anniversary celebration at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
Henri at first seemed overwhelmed at the huge crowd and attention he was getting at the festival’s main stage, clinging to his mom. But he broke out of his shyness once he got to the sand volleyball court at Veterans Park, where the high school students had new luggage and a host of beach-related gifts and toys for him and his family.
Henri’s father, Savino Villatoro (who speaks Spanish) said through an interpreter that he was amazed at everything that was being done for Henri and their family. He has never experienced this kind of generosity and care from a community like this and was even more impressed that the effort was led by a group of high school students, he said.
He said he's glad to see there is a new generation of young people like this growing up in the world.
Henri’s mother, Vanessa Villatoro, said their family has been to parks with water, but Henri has never been to the ocean and has been saying he wanted to go to the beach and build sand castles.
Now, Henri, his 3-year-old brother Daniel, 9-month-old twin brother and sister and parents all will make the trip together in June for Henri’s fifth birthday, said Julianna Hallman, the development and communications coordinator for Make-A-Wish Alabama.
The Villatoros’ trip won’t cost as much as the Spain Park and Hoover students raised, so any extra money not going to the Villatoros will go to help Make-A-Wish Alabama help another child’s family, the sponsors of the Student Government Associations at the two schools said.
The students from Hoover and Spain Park kicked off their fundraising back in September with a competition at the Spain Park-Hoover football game to see which school could sell the most $1 paper chain links for the Make-A-Wish cause. Spain Park won that competition.
Spain Park’s Student Government Association also had a “Hoopcoming Week” in February during which students paid money to vote for a “Hoopcoming king and princes,” SGA sponsor Candace Strickland said. At a Hoover-Spain Park basketball game, Hoover Toyota donated $25 for every three-point shot made and $100 for a slam dunk, she said.
The Spain Park students also sold water bottles, took up donations at the Spain Park-Vestavia Hills basketball game, held spirit nights at the Chipotle and Mugshots restaurants, and sponsored jeans weeks during which faculty and staff could donate money for the privilege of wearing jeans to school, Strickland said.
At Hoover High, the SGA raised money with a Sadie Hawkins dance in January, a compatibility survey at Valentine’s Day and a T-shirt sale, said Jill Thomas, one of the SGA sponsors.
McKenley Parker, the SGA president at Hoover, said she was excited to be able to be a part of something that benefited a family outside the Hoover community. She also thought it was good how students at two rival schools were able to come together and cooperate for such a worthy cause.
Brooke Gilliam, Spain Park’s SGA president, said she was excited to see the hard work that students had put into the effort all year come to fruition. Seeing the smile on Henri’s face once he got to the sand on the volleyball courts and warmed up to the situation was rewarding, she said.
Henri is just one of many children across the world having their wishes granted today through the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s World Wish Day. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, based in Phoenix, grants the wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions to help provide hope, strength and joy for the children and their families, serving children in nearly 50 countries on five continents.
Make-A-Wish Alabama, one of 62 chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, was able to grant 126 wishes for children in Alabama last year and more than 600 wishes in the last four years.
Hallman said she is thankful for people such as the students from Spain Park and Hoover for giving their time and resources to help a child’s dream come true. However, she added that there are still 280 children in Alabama on a waiting list to have their wishes granted.
For more information, go to alabama.wish.org.