A local teenage girl is trying to make a wish come true for a sick teenage boy she's never met.
Jennifer Hassler, 15, got the idea after going to a conference talking about the Kids for Wish program.
"It's basically for kids my age, allowing us to raise money for sick kids to grant their wishes," she said. "The Make a Wish program is a partner."
Jennifer is looking to help a 16-year-old football player named Austin from Salem.
"He's played football since he was in fifth grade," she said. "A couple of months ago, doctors found a spot under one of his arms and discovered it was melanoma. That was removed, but doctors found the cancer had spread throughout the body. He had to have his lymph nodes removed and did some rounds of chemotherapy, and now he is in remission."
Jennifer said Austin is working to get back into football shape, but after all he's been through, it's been tough. That's why granting him his wish is important to her.
"He wants to meet Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban," she said. "That's been his dream since he was in grade school."
To help Austin, Jennifer will have a booth downtown at the Fourth of July celebration in Jefferson City to help raise funds.
She's also working on getting a Glow Run 5K set up around Sept. 18 across the river in North Jefferson City on parks department property.
Jennifer also has set up a website to raise $5,000 for this effort: site.wish.org/goto/wishgivers.