By Kaitlin Candelaria
Gone are the simple days of Beta Club and Chess Club — since August, a group of about 60 students at Mountain Brook Junior High have been working diligently to raise money and awareness through the Magic Moments Club to support the Birmingham-based nonprofit Magic Moments.
All their hard work paid off March 19 when they were able to surprise 15-year-old Sid Ortis in front of his entire ninth-grade class with the news that he would receive a magic moment. Sid’s request was to visit the set of “The Walking Dead,” his favorite television show, and meet the cast members.
The club, which is sponsored by math teacher Chad Sorrells, is made up of seventh, eighth and ninth-grade students. Together, they have worked throughout the year towards their fundraising goal of $4,000 by selling Jim ‘N Nick’s pies around Thanksgiving and selling Magic Moments bracelets.
They even hosted a Magic Moments Day at The Summit. The students put on a fashion show, and several stores, including Lily Pulitzer, Calypso St. Barth, Kendra Scott and California Pizza Kitchen, donated a percentage of their daily sales to the cause.
The students also have done social media campaigns to raise awareness for Magic Moments.
Ortis, a Mountain Brook resident, is battling pediatric cancer. The Mountain Brook community has rallied around him in many ways, including posting purple and yellow balloons on mailboxes to pay tribute to his favorite college football team, the LSU Tigers.
March 19 was Ortis’ first day back at school following a lengthy hospitalization, and his fellow students continued that tradition, sporting yellow and purple clothing and decorating the school with purple and gold ribbons and balloons.
Although Ortis was humbled by his fellow students’ outpouring of support, he had no idea the surprise that lay in store, he said.
As ninth-grade class members gathered outside for a class photo, the Mountain Brook Junior High Magic Moments Club was receiving instructions from Kendall Johnson, an Auburn University student and Birmingham native who moonlights as an extra on “The Walking Dead.”
Johnson, who has been featured in several episodes of the show, helped the club members with their hair and makeup before teaching them how to make zombie-like noises and how to walk correctly.
As the ninth-grade class wrapped up its photo, Magic Moments Board Chairman Douglas Grant took the field to make a special announcement.
As the theme music from “The Walking Dead” began to play, members of the Magic Moments Club began to creep across the field in full zombie attire. Grant then announced that Ortis would be receiving his magic moment and will go to Georgia to visit the show’s set.
“I’m shocked that they did all this just for me,” Ortis said. “There’s so many other kids with cancer, and they don’t get anything like this. They’re lucky if they get a couple of friends, and I got my entire school.”
Sorrells said the club began with the intent of raising money for any child who was in need of a magic moment, but working with Ortis has been very special for them.
“We knew there was a child in our school system, so our hope was that we would be partnered with Sid,” Sorrells said. “I think it’s very important for the students. Beyond just raising Sid’s morale, they get to see the impact of their giving back. They got to see today that all the hard work they’ve done went for something rewarding. For them, hopefully that teaches them that lesson of giving back.”
Sorrells and his students have been working with Magic Moments for several years now, he said, but he wanted to do more. He met with Anna Martin, who oversees special events and outreach for Magic Moments, to form the Mountain Brook Junior High Magic Moments Club.
“Inspiring is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of these students,” Martin said. “This group has been determined to help Sid from the beginning. They have done anything and everything to make sure he is happy.”
Magic Moments is the only wish-granting organization dedicated solely to serving Alabama children with life-threatening illnesses. Founded in 1984, it has provided more than 4,300 magic moments for children in Alabama.
For more information, visit www.magicmoments.org.
