In the past four years, the University of Iowa Wish Makers has been able to grant two wishes.

However, with an increase in the number of members, the group hopes to grant another wish this year.

“This year, we’ve had more people at our meetings than we’ve ever had before,” said UI sophomore and Wish Makers Fundraising Director Taylor Scudder.

Each wish costs approximately $8,200, and it is the goal of the Wish Makers to raise $5,000 this year to help grant the wish of a child.

Wish Makers is dedicated to helping children with life-threatening illnesses and their families make lasting memories through support groups and fundraising to grant wishes.

Scudder said she believes a significant contribution to the success of the first meeting is that the Wish Makers members were able to attend both of the fair days and volunteer days to reach out to incoming freshmen.

Last year, the members were not able to do that.

UI junior Daisy Clymer, the Wish Makers executive director, said there are around 100 members this year who are actively involved. She hopes that those 100 members are able to branch out to their friends and family.

UI freshman Olivia Carey heard about the UI Wish Makers through a friend and decided to join.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of Make a Wish, and making [children’s] wishes come true is very important to me,” she said.

In order to make the children’s wishes come true, lots of fundraising is necessary.

The Wish Makers is a nonprofit organization, so all funds raised go straight to the child whose wish the members work toward granting.

Scudder is in charge of coming up with a new fundraising idea every month. For the month of September, she decided that a scavenger hunt would be a great way to start.

Ideally, Scudder wants students to form teams of five people and pay a $5 entrance fee.

Students will go around and find different things on campus and take photographic proof, which Scudder also thinks will be beneficial for freshmen in getting to know the campus better. The winners will receive a gift card.

Another event that Scudder and Clymer said they are looking forward to is the annual Walk for Wishes, which will be a Halloween theme on Oct. 25.

“We’re going to target it toward the community and students,” Clymer said. “Essentially, people can come dressed in their costumes, and we’ll have UI Wish Makers hand out candy and do other activities.”

Clymer said the second wish the UI Wish Makers successfully granted was based purely on the money they raised at the Walk for Wishes; the entrance fee is $20 per person, which went toward the $5,000 goal.

Scudder said she thinks the increase in numbers will make this goal more attainable.

“Hopefully, we can reach our goal this year because there are so many people,” she said.