Disney World Wish Comes True for Boy in Rogers
By: Tyler Thomason
Updated: February 13, 2013
Arriving by limo, 4-year old Max Rogers received the royal treatment at Rogers High School on Wednesday.
A more welcomed kind of treatment than what he's become used to.
"The week after Thanksgiving 2011, he was diagnosed with leukemia," says Brian Rogers, Max's dad.
"He's been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for, going on almost a year and a half now."
After hearing his story, he Make-A-Wish foundation, along with the Rogers High School DECA club decided to team up to grant Max a wish.
"Max's wish was to go to Disney World because he wants to go to Mickey's house," says Gwen Moore, a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish foundation.
A trip to the mouse house.
And the DECA club wanted to grant Max his wish in style, so they raised $5,000 in order to hold a surprise ceremony.
"We had the cheer squad, we had the band, we had the orchestra, we had the choir members," says Rogers DECA adviser Tom Woodruff.
"That enables the entire faculty and student body to be part of it," Woodruff adds.
"That's what we like because just like this ceremony we had today, we had teenagers coming out of there with tears in their eyes."
Along with the vacation, Max got a few other gifts, including a key to the city from mayor Greg Hines.
"Oh, I tell you what, you watch the excitement in that kid's eyes," Hines says.
"And to see the philanthropic nature and the spirit in these high school kids at this age, right now, pretty impressive."
An entire community showing support for one of their own.
"Is this real, or is this just a dream? Well, with make-a-wish, dreams do come true," Woodruff says.


