Students help classmate achieve dream

PERRYSBURG, Ohio (WUPW) - Perrysburg High junior and Penta Career Center student Zac Zies who has a life-threatening illness is hoping to cross a major dream off his bucket list.

Wednesday night he got some very special help from his classmates in reaching his goal to travel to Australia.

Zies suffers from a rare muscular condition called Friedreich's ataxia, that affects the muscles and heart. It's a progressive illness that causes him limited movement in his arms and legs, but it doesn't slow him down.

Penta students in the DECA marketing education program are responsible for a community service project. This year's class decided to hook up with the Make-A-wish Foundation.

The person chosen for the wish, made the assignment extra special.

"Who better to do it with than a student that goes here to Penta and that we can relate to?" said Noelle Vargis, President of Penta DECA. "He's all our friends and everything so we thought we would help his wish come true."

Zies has been interested in visiting Australia.

"There's no language barrier and it's like a different country and it's something I want to do before I die," he said, laughing.

A lasagna dinnner and silent auction held Wedensday evening was the second phase of a fundraising effort to help Zies travel Down Under. The meal was prepared by the Penta culinary students.

"It was just something that we could do for a good cause so I was excited for that," said Raven Davis, a culinary student.

His classmates have been helping to make that happen since November 2011 through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"We just wanted to help Zac out cuz he's such a good boy and he's so nice," Vargis said.

"It's great to see the support he's gotten from everybody and with his personality it would be easy to for you to say, 'I am Zac's friend and I will do what I can do to help him succeed and go to Australia,'" added Doris Herringshaw, family friend. "The kids have done a marvelous, marvelous job."

Zies is very excited about a trip to Australia.

"Some people will go along and do what they have to do and some of those people actually care about what the cause is," he said. "It feels good to know that."

A Make-a-Wish representative told FOX Toledo News that his trip might even be paid for, after the lasagna dinner and fundraiser.