Dreams Take Flight

[The Raven]

Thanks to the Air Canada volunteer employees over 20,000 kids have gone to Disney theme parks over the last 20 years.


KIDSLINK children to Embark on adventure of a lifetime thanks to Toronto Chapter of Dreams Take Flight
Two children from kidsLINK residential program to join 300 others on all expenses paid trip to Florida’s Walt Disney World

Waterloo Region/ST. AGATHA – kidsLINK announced that on Thursday June 4, 2009, two children from its residential program will experience the trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World in Florida, thanks to the Toronto chapter of Dreams Take Flight.

“Many of the children in our residences have already endured more difficulty and disappointment in their early years than most experience in a lifetime,” says Sonia Pouyat, CEO, kidsLINK. “While it was difficult for kidsLINK staff to decide which children must stay behind, we can’t thank Dreams Take Flight enough for providing two of our children with this once in a lifetime Disney adventure. Like all of the children in our care, those we have selected are absolutely deserving of this incredible opportunity.”

Children selected to participate in Dreams Take Flight face life threatening illnesses, hail from disadvantaged situations, or experience physical or mental health challenges. They must also meet additional criteria such as being able to cope during a long day of excitement and never before having visited any Disney park, nor likely to have such an opportunity in the future.

In response to a request made to Dreams Take Flight on behalf of kidsLINK in 2008, two spots were reserved for the organization on the upcoming June 4th flight, along with an additional spot for an accompanying kidsLINK staff member. From among those children eligible, two boys aged 6 and 12 were selected from Residential Treatment Services, a kidsLINK program offering round the clock treatment for children with social, emotional and mental health challenges within a loving, compassionate and therapeutic home-like environment.

On Wednesday, June 3rd, children living outside the Toronto area, including those from kidsLINK, get a head start on the fun with an afternoon party and an overnight stay at a hotel close to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. They then join Toronto-area participants on the morning of Thursday, June 4, for a Disney-themed send-off party in an airport hangar.

The festivities continue once the children and their chaperones board two Air Canada jumbo jets bound for Florida. Wearing special hats and t-shirts - and sporting fanny packs containing necessities like sunglasses, cameras, autograph books, pens - they’ll be entertained by flight attendants dressed as Disney characters and celebrities such as WWF wrestling personalities, famous hockey dad Walter Gretzky and Toronto television news personality Susan Hay.

Upon arrival in Florida, the children receive a police escort from the airport to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The Toronto Police Department's "Winged Wheels" motorcycle division, which like Dreams Take Flight is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2009, will mark the occasion by traveling to Florida to join the Florida Highway Patrol in providing this year’s escort.

After a day exploring the Magic Kingdom, the children will board a return flight to Toronto and receive loot bags full of mementos. All told, the big day will encompass approximately 20 hours, and it will no doubt create memories to last a lifetime.

If all goes well on the June 4th expedition, the opportunity exists to have up to four children from kidsLINK participate in next year’s Dreams Take Flight adventure.

Founded in 1989 by a group of Air Canada service staff, Dreams Take Flight is a national volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to providing the trip of a lifetime to physically, mentally or socially challenged children. With the aid of Air Canada and several other organizations and businesses, money is raised to make the dream a reality in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, to date the Toronto chapter of Dreams Take Flight has taken over 4850 children to Walt Disney World. More information is available at http://www.dreamstakeflight.ca.

[squawk 7600]

I just saw the "Dreams Take Flight" on the news and I have to say, what an amazing thing Air Canada is doing for those under-priviledged kids. A class act! Good on you guys and gals involved!

Good to see the media report something positive on Air Canada once in a while.