Living in a world where society and media uplift American ideals of self-love and independence, Cal High junior Hailey Clark is just trying to do her part with her new Make a Memory Club.

Clark grants final wishes for terminally ill patients through Cal’s Make a Memory Club, as she sends them and their families on dream vacations.

“A family is the most important gift that a person can have,” Clark said. “It’s so important for struggling families to get away from their hardships and to make memories, ones that they can remember and cherish.”

Clark’s Make a Memory Club is affiliated with the Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to grant the lifelong dreams of terminally ill patients and their families.

The Dream Foundation is the first nationwide organization dedicated to grant the final wishes of adults, as compared to multiple dream organizations created for children.

These “wishes,” requested from medical patients who struggle financially with hospital bills, range from basic, materialistic needs to lifelong dreams of vacations surrounded by loved ones.

The purpose of the Make a Memory Club and the Dream Foundation – to provide terminally ill adults with the comfort and joy of spending the last moments of life with their loved ones – was what inspired Clark to create her club.

“When I was four years old, my dad passed away from a brain tumor,” Clark said. “My family and I were fortunate enough to go on a trip to Disneyland, which is really great since the only memories I have of my dad are those that we made on that trip.”

Clark stresses the importance of loved ones being able to spend precious, quality time with family members during their final moments in life.

Through Make a Memory, Clark is actively working to give other families and children this opportunity by organizing fundraising events to raise money for the Dream Foundation.

This past holiday season, Clark and her members experienced their first volunteer opportunity by gift-wrapping customers’ presents at Barnes & Noble in Dublin and successfully raise approximately $250 through the donations.

Clark sends the club’s raised funds to the Dream Foundation so the charity can afford to grant the wishes of the 2,500 patients that it supports annually.

Make a Memory is currently assisting the Dream Foundation by supporting a  38-year-old woman living in West Virginia named Kimberly. The woman is not only a patient battling stage four breast cancer, but is also the mother of two 4-year-old twin boys.

“I think it’s a very worthwhile cause to support and help families make a wonderful memory with a dying loved one,” said Spanish teacher Jamie Brindley, who serves as adviser for the Make a Memory Club.

Make a Memory’s job is to raise money for families like Kimberly’s through charitable events and fundraisers. Clark sees her club holding more fundraisers and eventually participating in a walkathon.

Club members such as Cal juniors Megan Weinshelbaum and Jenna Jacobson make up Clark’s support system.

“It’s a really great club and charity,” said Jacobson.

These students help pitch in ideas for future events at their weekly held meetings.

“Hailey showed amazing leadership at our gift-wrapping event in Barnes & Noble,” said Weinshelbaum. “She really knows how to talk to people.”

Junior Danisha Calip said Clark is a compassionate, smart, and hardworking girl.

“Hailey is just wonderful,” said Calip. “I feel very proud to be her friend.”

Even though there is constant pressure to come up with successful ideas to raise funds for families, Clark still manages to express her love for the club.

“I love how we can all get together with this common purpose of helping others,” said Clark. “I want to take whatever I’ve gone through and the hardships that I’ve faced to make it better for other people.”