On Friday, November 2, the Hoosick Falls Elementary students filled the auditorium with holiday cheer as the 2018 Make-A-Wish letter writing campaign officially began with a kick-off assembly. Luke Hoag, the 6th grade mastermind behind the initiative, and his classmates took the stage and led the elementary student body and faculty in a fun-filled rally full of singing, letter-reading and lots of cheering and excitement.
This is the fourth year in a row that Luke, his family and his school are dedicating themselves to collecting letters to Santa. These letters will turn into a sizable donation through Macy’s for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For every letter to Santa that is delivered to Macy’s, $1 is donated to the foundation and on Believe Day (December 7) Macy’s doubles its contribution. So for the next month, the school will be collecting letters that will be brought to Macy’s on Believe Day. Last year, over 62,000 letters were delivered by Luke on Believe Day and all those involved hope that that number will grow this year.
Luke and his family were recipients of a granted dream by Make-A-Wish when he was just three years old, following his diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor. He wants to make sure that other children and families facing life-threatening illnesses are granted their wishes, so they too can experience joy in a difficult time. Luke believes in the power of a wish and believes in the hard work and dedication of his community to write and collect letters to Santa to support Make-A-Wish.
One new challenge is to collect letters from all 50 states! It is the hope that people from all around the country will support Luke’s Believe Campaign and help spread the word to their family and friends. Please keep an eye out on the Hoosick Falls Central School website and Facebook page for updates on our progress. Letters may be mailed to
Hoosick Falls Central School
Attention to: Luke Hoag
PO Box 192
Hoosick Falls, NY 12090
All letters received by December 6 will be brought to Macy’s on Believe Day, where Macy’s donation will be doubled to $2 per letter. Remember you can write more than one, you can also write them for your pets, infant relatives, etc.