At a Swigert school assembly, Sarah Grosh from the Make-a-Wish Foundation, asks Conrad to revel the amount of money he raised in honor of his sister.
On his 9th birthday this week, a Denver boy celebrated at his school, but not with typical sharing of cupcakes in class. Instead, Conrad Robinson was at the center of a full school assembly at Swigert International School to celebrate the money he raised for the Make-A-Wish Colorado foundation to honor his little sister, Pippa.
Some of Conrad’s friends were part of team Pippa and supported his fundraising effort.
“I was inspired by Make-A-Wish, because they helped us go to Disney, and so now I’m giving other kids a chance for it…because for people and for kids when they’re going through difficult times, it would be nice for them, fun for them, if they could go do something fun,” Conrad said standing beside an oversized donation check.
Conrad’s little sister, 7-year-old Pippa, passed away in October not long after he finished his ‘Rad’s Climb for Wishes’ Make-A-Wish fundraising event, a climb of 70 routes at the Übergrippen Indoor Climbing space in Central Park. Conrad received pledges for each climb and raised more than $40,000 by the end of the day. He admits it was tiring and his “hands were crying” at the end of the five hours of climbs, but he says his friends showed up to support him and he “just pushed.”
Those friends, classmates, and many others also contributed to Team Pippa. On his birthday, Conrad hoisted a giant check for $62,331 high over his head, surrounded by loud cheers and birthday balloons with his parents and grandparents watching.
Principal Shelby Dennis told the students at the assembly that Conrad was inspired to do this work for his sister based on his love for her. She said she hopes they’re inspired by Conrad and by Pippa “to make this world a better place and to use your energy, your knowledge, your kindness, to do better, to do good things for our world and make this a positive place. I am inspired, and I am so grateful for you, Conrad, for doing everything that you did to have such a positive impact for so many families.”
In the quiet of the school library before the assembly, Patrick Robinson said his son chose to do a hard thing, “in honor and in service of other people, and without question, inspired by his effort, by his love, and just by everyone kind of coming together.”
The money raised will help provide Make-A-Wish events for eight families. The organization and its mission are very important to the Robinson family, which traveled to Walt Disney World in 2022 thanks to Make-A-Wish and donors who helped grant Pippa’s wish. Patrick said the trip “made a big impact on us and our family, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supports this cause and, through it, these families that are really taking on unimaginable challenges.”
The Robinson family at Disney for their “Wish” trip.
Ashley Robinson remembered how much her daughter Pippa loved the Make-A-Wish Christmas shopping experience at the hospital where kids pick out presents and wrap them.
“She talked about it all the time, because she felt so excited and proud to be able to pick out gifts individually for each person in the house and wrap it and think about what they would like. It made a made a huge difference for her to be able to go down and do it that.”
Patrick is grateful to Make-A-Wish for understanding what it means to go through a difficult time, but also what it means to be a kid.
“Certainly, there was the big wish, but Pippa had these small wishes too of wanting to be thoughtful of other people and give these gifts, picking out a baseball for my mom, who loves baseball, or a chess set for me or toys for her brother,” he said. “The joy that Pippa felt in giving those gifts was truly special to behold.”
The Robinsons use the word “gratitude” often when talking about Make-A-Wish, the Swigert community, Übergrippen, and the support they’ve received. That support was evident in the hugs for the family and the high-fives for Conrad from the students leaving the gym.
It was a day to celebrate Conrad and a day to remember Pippa.
Patrick reflected on what made his daughter so special, and “how effortlessly she embraced life and lived with joy and loved others… And I think that was possible because she felt so much love from others. In addition to all the effort Conrad put in on this particular occasion, he’s also an incredible big brother.”
On Colorado Gives Day, the Robinson Family and Make-A-Wish are encouraging $70 donations to ‘ Climb for Wishes With Rad’ in honor of the 70 routes Conrad Climbed. https://www.coloradogives.org/story/I52tcg
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