When Elizabeth Palmer ’21 was asked to be an honoree for the W.I.S.H. (Women Inspiring Strength and Hope) Society of Make-A-Wish South Carolina, she was overjoyed. Then, as the weight of the honor sunk in, she panicked a little because she wasn’t sure how she would raise the $7,500 – a goal that comes with the recognition and represents the average cost of a child’s wish.

That’s when Palmer, an educational studies major and poverty studies minor at Furman, got creative.

Anna Leigh was granted her wish to be Rapunzel for a day in 2017. She “let down her hair” down at the Furman Bell Tower.

Palmer, who interned with Make-A-Wish South Carolina over the summer, was named Woman of the Year for exceeding her goal, drumming up more than $10,000 for the charitable group that grants wishes for children with critical illnesses.

The wishes run the gamut – pet dogs, shopping sprees, all-terrain vehicles, pet goats (no kidding), and even a camper outfitted with games, gear and snacks for a boy battling leukemia. And in 2017, Furman played a role in Anna Leigh’s wish to be Rapunzel for a day, where she let down her hair from the bell tower.

To meet her $7,500 target, Palmer pulled out all the stops. Enlisting the help of her mother at her home near Georgetown, South Carolina, Palmer hatched a plan – quite literally at the kitchen table.

Palmer used Instagram and Facebook for her fundraising campaign.

For the small, close-knit community