SUMNER

Windchimes and hope, how "Art for Wishes" is helping children battling critical illness

Katie Nixon
Nashville Tennessean

Preschoolers at The Learning Experience centers in Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville are creating hope, unique art and helping grant wishes for Make-A-Wish children battling critical illness through a month-long fundraising campaign called "Art for Wishes."

The Learning Experience community aims to raise $40 per little learner this month, and with one week remaining, the Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet centers have nearly reached their fundraiser goals.

To date, the Hendersonville center has raised $1,785 of its $2,040 goal and the Mt. Juliet center has raised $2,595 of its $4,440 goal. Nationally, “Art for Wishes” has brought in $337,766.34 so far, officials say.

Preschoolers at The Learning Experience centers in Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville are creating unique art and helping grant wishes for Make-A-Wish children through April's month-long fundraising campaign, Art for Wishes.

“We’re so excited to be able to bring joy out to children that are battling critical illness,” said Amanda Oaks, franchise owner of both local locations. “It’s an opportunity for philanthropy and to show the children in our centers what it takes to take care of those around us,” she said.

A Hendersonville-based mom and business owner, Oaks opened both of her franchises within the last two years.

Mt. Juliet opened in October 2019 and Hendersonville opened February 2020. 

“Art for Wishes” is the first fundraising effort either center has undergone.

“Our children are excited, our teachers are excited and we’re working hard to just create art and support Make-A-Wish,” Oaks said. “Teachers are really using their creativity and their artistic freedoms in the classrooms.”

Flowerpots, windchimes and hope

Preschoolers at The Learning Experience centers in Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville are creating unique art and helping grant wishes for Make-A-Wish children through April's month-long fundraising campaign, Art for Wishes.

Serving children ages six weeks to six years, The Learning Experience is teaching children every week this month about their impact on the world through philanthropy – a big part of TLE centers, Oaks says.

“Even our littlest babies are participating because their growth and development and their introduction into philanthropy, there should be no age range that can’t participate,” she said. “It’s a whole center, a whole community event.”

Classes work to create a series of art projects introduced virtually each week through instructional video that features real Make-A-Wish children and their stories.

Decorating flowerpots and superhero capes, making windchimes and creating art using stars and the word hope are the weekly art projects children will complete and raffle by the end of this month.

Parents and donors may win the little learner’s artwork on April 29 through the World Wish Day Celebration and Art Raffle – a day celebrating the first wish granted by Make-A-Wish in 1980.

“This is an opportunity for us in our local community to make an incremental difference that as a community together can be so powerful,” Oaks said.

All donations are welcome.

To contribute to the Hendersonville center, visit https://secure2.wish.org/site/TR/NationalCampaign/Make-A-WishAmerica?team_id=30581&pg=team&fr_id=3848#.YIEYFa9Kg2w.

To contribute to the Mt. Juliet center, visit https://secure2.wish.org/site/TR/NationalCampaign/Make-A-WishAmerica?team_id=30582&pg=team&fr_id=3848#.YIEXQa9Kg2w.

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com or (615) 517-1285.

Preschoolers at The Learning Experience centers in Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville are creating unique art and helping grant wishes for Make-A-Wish children through April's month-long fundraising campaign, Art for Wishes.