Congratulations to the Wolder triplets for being recipients of the “Shine Your Light” Award at the Tribute Concert in Orange County, California. Read about the event here.

The Wolder sisters of Irvine started out with a simple premise in 2012 – start a Make-A-Wish Club at their high school, TVT – Tarbut V’Torah to grant the wish of at least one child with a life-threatening medical condition.

By 2014, the Wolder sisters not only accomplished this goal – they exceeded it, granting the wishes of nine Southern California children and raising more than $40,000, within two years of starting their club.

It is not that they were not busy with other things; they participated in tennis, volleyball, soccer, and TVT’s Associated Student Body,

However, when the Cara, Jessica and Liora saw first hand how the Make-A-Wish Foundation impacted a family friend’s life in such a positive way, they decided to try and make a difference for others.

They first started by forming the Make-A-Wish Club in September 2012 at their high school, Tarbut V’Torah. They sold doughnuts and stars to fellow students.

The club’s membership grew from 25 students during the 2012-13 school year to 50 students for 2013-14 and the club is considered a major institution at Tarbut V’Torah.

However, bad news struck the Wolder sisters in February 2013 when Liora was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

For the first time, the triplets were separated physically. Liora was home-schooled and underwent treatment for one year. It was a very emotional time for everyone in the family. It would have made sense that their efforts with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and club would have been put aside to deal with their personal issues and pressures related to Liora’s health.

This was not the case. If anything their goals of trying to spread the word about this organization became even more important to them. The Wolder sisters hosted a “Shave-a-thon” in May 2013, which became the club’s single largest event of the year, according to Cara.

The event was held in honor of Liora Wolder and raised $20,000 by selling T-shirts, cups, and having participants raise money by pledging to shave their heads.

What we know about the Make-A-Wish Foundation is that each wish has a price range of $5,000 to $7,000, and the Wolder sisters’ establishment of a club at TVT has raised funds for nine wishes by giving more than $31,000 during its first year.

As the triplets are preparing for graduation and University, it is our honor to pay tribute to these 3 young women who have shined their light throughout the community. We thank them and wish them ongoing success in their ability to help others.