Each year Make-A-Wish gives a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness the opportunity to have one wish experience. These wishes are only made possible by the fundraising efforts of people all across the country. In Brookhaven the drive for contributions will begin on Tuesday.

The local chapter will kick off the fund drive with a meeting Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Southway Baptist Church. Since 2003, Judy Arnold has led the charge to help out children in need.

The kickoff meeting will give everyone interested the information they need to form a team and get started. Each team’s goal is to raise as much money as possible before the Brookhaven Walk for Wishes and Rides for Wishes that will be held Saturday, Oct. 25. The teams are given free reign for their fundraisers.

“You can do anything that’s legal,” Arnold said. “Anything we can think up we do.”

All money raised will be donated to Make-A-Wish. If there is a child in the area that qualifies, the money will go directly to his or her wish. Arnold added that there’s a much larger population of qualifying children than most people realize.

“People just don’t think we have that many until you see a list of names,” she said.

Arnold said her goal this year is to raise $10,000. She said the last two years, the groups have gotten close to $10,000, but she hopes to meet that number this year.

“I really try to raise the most money I can,” she said.

For more information about the kickoff meeting, contact Arnold at 601-754-7068 or Casey Martin at 601-695-1265 or email casey_martin80@yahoo.com.