State Honoree

Elizabeth Niemiec, 17, of Michigan City, Ind., a junior at Michigan City High School, created a foundation that grants small wishes to needy children and teens struggling with cancer, after the young son of a former teacher succumbed to the disease. The day after Elizabeth learned that Max, the 4-year-old adopted son of her fifth-grade teacher, had cancer of the kidney, she started planning to raise funds for his family. She conducted a bake sale with her school's National Junior Honor Society, and coordinated a bowling fund-raiser. She watched with awe as Max courageously fought the disease for the next two and a half years, until he lost his battle in March 2010. "Witnessing an innocent child lying in a casket was immensely eyeopening," said Elizabeth. "His life had barely started, and now it was finished. It was then that my mind was made up; I was determined to make a positive impact in the lives of children who suffer as Max had from cancer."She began researching how to start a nonprofit organization in Max's memory, and with help from her parents, set up the "LittleWish Foundation." "Before Max passed, his one little wish was to own a dog, and he received it a couple of months prior to his passing," explained Elizabeth. "I saw how much that one little gift meant to him, so my idea was to grant as many little wishes as I could to children with cancer." Through her foundation, Elizabeth has sold 2,800 silicone bracelets in Max's favorite color at churches, schools, and gift shops. She worked with a printing company to design a "LittleWish" T-shirt, which she has sold at schools and festivals. More recently, she organized a community "hog roast," bringing her total fund-raising proceeds to more than $38,000.With that money, she has purchased gifts such as iPods, video game systems, laptop computers, and DVD players for kids at South Bend Memorial Hospital. Her plan is to begin granting wishes to young people at other hospitals in her area, and eventually, across the country.