Posted: Thursday, May 8, 2014 10:20 pm
By Kimberly Sutton
Most little girls don’t put a kidney on their birthday wish list, but Halle Ludwig, of The Woodlands, hopes to receive a kidney transplant next month at the Texas Children’s Medical Center right in time for her 12th birthday.
Halle, who attends Mitchell Intermediate, goes to TCMC three times a week for kidney dialysis, and is away from home from 12:30-8 p.m.
“She started about two months ago and is on the machine for four hours each time,” said her mother Christine Clinkenbeard.
Halle was born with Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.
Thousands of dollars are needed to assist Clinkenbeard with gas expenses to and from the hospital, medications, medical care and the transplant itself.
Halle’s brother, Layne Ludwig, is a sophomore at The Woodlands High School and his friends have come to know about Halle.
TWHS Student Body President Chase Giles met Halle’s mother and offered to help.
Giles and school officials presented Halle and her mother a check for almost $13,000 Thursday afternoon at the high school.
“I have no words,” Clinkenbeard said. “I can’t even believe it.”
After raising $500 with T-shirt sales in January, Giles said he wanted to “upscale it.”
“We really wanted to find a way for the students to be involved, help and give back on behalf of The Woodlands High School,” Giles said.
He and about 65 other school leaders in the Principal’s Leadership Council brainstormed a month-long fundraising project.
The first week of April was the Highlander Hands Helping Halle fundraiser, where students wrote their name on a paper cut-out of a hand for any amount of money and taped it to a large banner in the school.
The second week, Student Council Treasurer Jason Hulet coordinated a student/faculty basketball game that raised more than $5,500.
“We sold tickets prior to it and accepted donations at the game,” Hulet said. “Halle attended and her school sang the National Anthem.”
The third week the French Club hosted an Easter Egg Hunt. Students and teachers could purchase an egg that had a prize inside of it. Most received stickers or fake tattoos, but some won a television set, a massage gift card or a variety of restaurant gift cards. The French Club raised $4,500 that week, Giles said.
During the last week, the student leaders rented a dunking booth where students had an opportunity to dunk their favorite principal or teacher.
“It was $1 per ball,” Giles said. “We raised $500 during lunch in one day.”
The high school’s Improv Group raised $1,000 in donations and the cheerleaders hosted a pie-throwing competition, where the teacher with the most money in a can got a pie thrown in their face.
“A senior from every organization or club had input. In one way or another, each one of them participated or contributed to this effort,” TWHS Principal Gregg Colschen said. “These guys and a few others took charge and led the way. I just stood back and watched.”
To donate, go to wwwcotaforhallel.com and see updates on her progress and read her blog.
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