Every December for the past eight years, Lockhart students have gotten a chance to feel what it would be like to be a fairy godmother or a genie, proving to the community just how infectious the spirit of giving can be.

For almost a decade, the students have participated in a walk-a-thon to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metropolitan New York. The foundation uses the money to grant the wishes of children up to the age of 18 with life-threatening illnesses.

This year the school raised over $5,500 for Make-A-Wish with an after-school three-mile walk-a-thon held on Dec. 4.

Recently students, teachers, school board members and parents assembled in the school gymnasium to present the check to Pat Clemency, C.E.O. of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metropolitan New York. Students began the presentation with a holiday musical performance and ended it with a sing-a-long.

"Lockhart has been an incredible part of Make-A-Wish over the years and the kids have made a difference for so many kids and their families," said Clemency. "They've touched a lot of lives."

Not only do students raise the money for the wishes, but they also vote on to whom they should grant them, a job Clemency said they seem to take very seriously. This year the foundation supplied the school with a list of four names of children and what they wished for. Every class from kindergarten to sixth grade voted and two children were chosen, Cynthia and "L." Meanwhile, the foundation will continue to find funding to grant the other two children their wishes.

"I'm always so impressed by the understanding and the empathy that kids have for other kids who are sick and going through some tough times and it's amazing to see when a group of kids like the kids at Lockhart want to do something so special and this has become such a part of their annual life of the school every December," said Clemency.

Five-year-old Cynthia misses the family reunions she used to have with her grandmother in the Dominican Republic. So when asked what her wish was, Cynthia, who is being treated for a seizure disorder, didn't hesitate to say she wanted to visit her grandmother.

Three year old "L", who is HIV positive, told the Make-A-Wish Foundation wishgranters that he likes cars, motorcycles, things that go "vrooom." It's no wonder his wish was to visit the Magic Kingdom and go on all the fast rides, as well as meeting Mickey Mouse.

While the most common wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a trip to one of the Disney theme parks, Clemency said there are a wide range of requests from the children and even trips to Disney there are many variations. For example, she said one little girl asked the foundation to meet Cinderella while dressed up like the character in a gown and tiara. Other children want to meet celebrities or receive a gift, such as a computer. She said children also commonly wish to live out dreams such as being a model, athlete or fire fighter for a day. The main objective, Clemency added, is to make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the child.

The walk-a-thon fund raiser at Lockhart, which has become a yearly tradition, is a collaborative effort between the principal, Dr. Clara Goldberg, students, teachers, parents and the PTA, according to Donald Bresnihan, student council advisor. The PTA and the student council were particularly instrumental in planning and advertising the walk-a-thon, he said. But it seems that it's the excitement that runs through the entire student body that makes the event extra special.

"The enthusiasm of the older kids feeds down to the younger students," said Bresnihan.

Clemency said she's very impressed by Lockhart students' efforts and added that school stands out as one of the best fund raisers the foundation works with.

"This level of commitment is extraordinary," she said. "They put their heart and soul into this."

The students, however, don't pull the whole thing off completely on their own. Aside from help from teachers and their principal, they also have to summon the help of friends and family to act as sponsors for the walk-a-thon.

"It's amazing to see how a group of children can do such incredible work and mobilize a community behind their efforts," she added.

At the Dec. 23 assembly, Bresnihan took time to acknowledge the following students who make up the Lockhart student council: sixth-graders Matt Kasparian, Sara Gretchel, Lisa Randazzo, Rob DiFalco, Thomas Kenny, and Francesca LoCascio; fifth-graders Jennifer Fritz, Ryan Carey, Danny McCormack, Gabriella Sparacio, Toniann Smith, Matt Barnathan, Matt Terrono, Leanna Bucceri and Chris Burke; fourth-graders Joseph Cataldo, Vanessa Lind, Shawn Lovett, Kelly Calder, Colin Barnathan, Jonathan Schwartz, John Schiliro and Renae Noveck; and third-graders Elizabeth Callahan, Christi Hatcher, Kristen Conti, Steven Suris, Sara Chatalbash, Alexa Pesce, Lori Beth Mandolillo and Nick Amendolare.

For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which has chapters nationally and internationally, call 944-6212.