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The University of North Georgia (¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ) led all NCAA Division II athletic departments for Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraising for a fourth straight year in 2018-19. A total of 168 Division II schools participated in a Make-A-Wish.

¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's raised $23,929, more than twice as much as Grand Valley State University's $11,000 total, which was the second-most. The group raises money through the annual Nigel's Run with Superheroes Fun Run and 1K Walk in the spring, working Gold Rush parking with Rotary and the ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ, collecting donations at a Gold Rush tent, sponsoring Make-A-Wish home athletic events where all gate proceeds are donated, and 50-50 raffles at home events.

"Our SAAC has a tremendous platform in our Make-A-Wish initiative to make an impact on other people's lives and is passionate about positively impacting our local community," said Lindsay Reeves, ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ director of . "We're so proud that our student-athletes have chosen to prioritize enriching lives through their commitment to this division-wide cause of granting life-changing wishes."

¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ welcomed 16-year-old Luke England to campus for its eighth annual Make-A-Wish Day on Oct. 23.

The East Hall High School student had non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 15 but received the news he was cancer-free in July 2018. He spent time with ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's baseball team Oct. 23 before serving as honorary captain for the nationally ranked women's soccer team at its game that night. ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ delivered a camouflage ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ baseball jersey to England with his name on it and organized a signing ceremony for the teen from Gainesville, Georgia.

"We tried to make him feel as special as possible. Being able to help people, that's what life is all about," ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ head baseball coach said. "There's no better feeling."

¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's Make-A-Wish total helped the Peach Belt Conference pull in the second-most money among the 24 Division II conferences with $38,325. ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ was one of five schools to raise more than $10,000, the average cost of granting a wish.

Since 2010, Nighthawk Athletics has raised more than $195,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Learn more about the eight Make-A-Wish events ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ has hosted on campus at the .

Nigel's Run With Superheroes Fun Run and 1K Walk to cap ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's 2019-20 Make-A-Wish initiative will be held in in April 2020.

In 2018-19, Division II schools raised $398,000 for Make-A-Wish, which lifted the total raised by Division II schools since 2003 to $6.2 million. Those funds have facilitated the granting of 740 wishes in 16 years.