Carly Anderson, right, Dana Devito and other student council members create posters for Homecoming festivities.

Otsego takes on Allegan in this year's Homecoming football game on October 7th. It should be an exciting match-up, but it isn't the players, the game, the floats or the dance that students are thinking of right now, it's actually a young boy in Allegan.

OHS is following last year's efforts of making homecoming about helping others. In 2010, each class chose a different charity for which to raise money, but this year, all the classes are working toward the same cause: the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan. And students learned this week whose wish they're granting. His name is Andrew, he is 10 years old, and has muscular dystrophy; he attends Dawson Elementary School in Allegan.

Andrew's wish is for his entire family to go on a Disney Cruise. It's only fitting that the high school set it's homecoming theme "Fairy Tales." Each float will represent a different Disney movie, and center around making a wish come true.

Andrew (Photo provided by Make-A-Wish)

“Working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation allows homecoming to become a community wide event.  This creates memories of the difference we are making as opposed to just fancy dresses, a parade and a football game,” added Emma Bomeli, Student Council President.

The fundraising efforts all start Friday, September 23rd, with a Kid's Carnival inside Bulldog Stadium, this gives the students two weeks to raise $8,000. The carnival is from 4:30pm - 6:30pm and will include a bounce house and bounce slide, face-painting and other games. There will be Make-A-Wish Foundation stars and bracelets on sale for $1, and there will also be t-shirts on sale for $10. The carnival will add to the excitement of the night - the outdoor Varsity Volleyball game starts at 4:30pm, and it's Rocket Football night for the football game which starts at 7pm.

Stars and bracelets will also be sold during the high school and middle school lunch hours in the two weeks following, as well as during other Homecoming events, such as the Powder Puff game on Monday, October 3rd.

The OHS Student Council also got its hands on a beat-up car, where for $1, high school students can whack it with a sledge hammer during their lunch on Thursday, October 6th. That car will be present for community members, too, that evening, when students will hold a car wash from 5-7pm during the JV Volleyball game.

The culmination of their efforts will be highlighted during the Homecoming Parade and in a special presentation before the football game on October 7th; Andrew will be a part of both events. All of the stars sold will be strung by lights and hung around the stadium.

If you would like to donate to the cause, but cannot make it out to an event, contact Student Council Advisor Sarah Haase at 269-692-6166, ext. 6751 or shaase@otsegops.org.