The Official Newsletter of Give Kids The World Winter Edition 2013

The Official Newsletter of Give Kids The World
Winter Edition
2013
Family Letter
Dear Give Kids The World,
I am writing to thank GKTW for their generosity. My sister Faith, age three,
has Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome. In 2011 alone she spent
about two and a half months in the hospital and had at least six blood
transfusions. This time was difficult for our whole family. As the oldest child
in our family, I needed to take over some of the household chores and help
with the younger kids’ schoolwork. It was a stressful and scary time for
us. But that’s also the time Faith was granted a wish trip. We were all very
excited to get a break from our hectic, unpredictable lives.
We were very excited, particularly after looking at other peoples’ trips and
their pictures. We were given a glorious six days at the best place on earth.
The tickets to all the different places were amazing, the food was spectacular
and the villa was roomy and comfortable for our family of seven. We came
when you had the players from Notre Dame and Florida State visit, which
was very cool! The staff was friendly and treated us like royalty.
Even after we left, we are still enjoying the benefits of our stay. The World
Passport makes it feel like the wish trip never ends. Just a week ago, we
visited Cedar Point, Seneca Caverns and Swings ‘N Things in Ohio…for free!
We are now hoping to plan trips to Michigan’s Adventure and a few of the
places on the Passport in Pennsylvania. We were so blessed by this trip. Our
cousin was granted a wish trip and now they want to go to GKTW too! Thanks
so much for the trip of a lifetime!
With appreciation,
Grace, Age 14
“We were given a glorious six days
at the best place on earth.”
Something mAAgic in the Air
Since 1996, hundreds of American Airlines current and former employees
have organized an event through their Something mAAgic Foundation that
helps bring wish families to GKTW for a week filled with amazing memories.
Each year, wish families depart from their hometown as part of mAAgic
flight to embark on a fun-filled week at the Village. The American Airlines
employees make the trip extra special for the families by giving them a big
send off. From a water salute to festive entertainment, these employee
volunteers epitomize the word “mAAgic.” To date, the Something mAAgic
Foundation has raised more than $2 million in cash and in-kind
donations to support the mAAgic flight program.
Recently, over 70 Angels from American Airlines came out
to the Village to celebrate the 18th anniversary of mAAgic
flight by sponsoring our Big Splash Bash. There was plenty
of exciting entertainment, including a Pop Noggins booth
where kids could superimpose their heads on animated
bodies, hair designs by Joy Brandel, gift bag tables and a
catered dinner from another loyal partner of ours, Chuy’s
Restaurants. The festivities were a hit as wish families and
Angels partied well in to the evening. It was truly a mAAgical
event. Thank you, American Airlines, for sharing your mAAgic with
our special families.
Perkins Serves Up Hope and Happiness
on Pancake Day
This September, Perkins Restaurant and Bakery locations around the
country celebrated Give Kids The World Pancake Day by helping raise
funds for the Village. For the third year in a row, customers were invited to
make a donation to Give Kids The World and in return, they received a free
short stack of pancakes. Donations support the Gingerbread House where
Perkins has graciously provided free meals for wish families for more than
two decades.
Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry even made special
visits to Perkins restaurants in Minnesota,
Pennsylvania and Florida to greet wish
families, volunteers and friends of the
Village in attendance.
We are so grateful to Perkins
& Marie Callender’s for their
continued partnership in
supporting GKTW. Their
generosity helps bring
families together for
fellowship, food and fun.
IHG Conference Highlights
Generous Partnership
“On behalf of all the families who will be able to experience a week of magical memories in their new
home away from home, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to IHG, the IHG Owners Association and all
its loyal employees and guests for making this possible.”
~Pamela Landwirth,
President, Give Kids The World
Since Give Kids The World began in 1986, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG ®) has been a loyal partner and friend.
During this time, IHG has raised more than $6 million for the Village through creative promotions, grassroots
fundraisers, in-kind donations and coordinated special events all over the world. As one of the world’s leading hotel
companies, their support has allowed us to do everything from recently constructing new villas so we can bring even
more families to the Village to providing our wish families with an Express Start breakfast option so they can grab a
quick, nutritious meal on their way to the theme parks.
Recently, the IHG Americas Investors and Leadership
Conference took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. GKTW
was invited to participate and received generous
donations of $60,500 from Chesapeake Hospitality
and $2,000 from Staybridge Suites of Minot, North
Dakota. It was also an honor to be present as Mark
Zipperer, President and CEO of Pride Hospitality,
presented the top fundraiser award to Stephanie
Robson from the Holiday Inn Express Circleville for
raising over $600 by holding contests, bake sales
and even a car show at the hotel benefiting Give Kids
The World.
“IHG has been a loyal supporter of our mission since we welcomed our very first family at the Holiday Inn Main
Gate East more than two decades ago,” said Pamela Landwirth, President, Give Kids The World. “On behalf of all
the families who will be able to experience a week of magical memories in their new home
away from home, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to IHG, the IHG Owners Association
and all its loyal employees and guests for making this possible.” The incredible
support we’ve received from the IHG Owners Association, Staybridge Suites,
Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and the other IHG
brands has allowed us to help bring more families to the Village and to
enhance their experience while they’re here. Their generous support
allows us to grow and fulfill more children’s wishes to visit Central
Florida. Thank you, IHG.
Hope and Faith Bridging the Ocean
If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to meet Manri Osumi, you’ll understand why it is so easy to believe that
one life can touch the hearts and minds of an entire nation. Manri is a college girl from Japan who is wise beyond her
years. Growing up with devoted and loving parents, she learned early about the family traditions of respect, compassion
and honor. From her father, Riki Osumi, a long-time senior executive with Tokyo Disneyland, she was taught the value
of hard work. He also taught her to be an innovator and to see the world as it could be, not always the way it is.
Riki became impassioned about the idea of doing something similar to GKTW
in Tokyo. Leaving his 20-year post at Disney to pursue his dream, the
concept is well on its way to becoming a reality. He is already putting
together vacations for families in Japan through his village
concept called “Hope and Wish.”
Learning the key to making the “Village” so special,
requires firsthand experience. What better way to learn
than for Manri to do a two-week volunteer experience?
She completed her Angel experience at GKTW this
past summer.
Speaking through a translator, Manri remembered, “My
first job as a volunteer was to help take pictures of the
children with Mickey Mouse in Julie’s Safari Theatre. I
will never forget that a little girl started a conversation
in English, which I could not understand. After a few
minutes of speaking to me, she turned to her mother
and said, ‘I made a friend.’ It was so precious and almost
made me cry.” The beauty was when her family left the
theatre, the little girl insisted they return for a photo
onstage with Manri!
Perhaps the most vivid lesson Manri will take home to
Japan involves the American concept of volunteering.
She points out that it is her country’s tradition that
if you want something done, you must do it yourself.
“What I learned as a volunteer at Give Kids The World is
that I received much more than I could ever give these
children. The experience enriched my life so much. I now
see volunteering differently and I understand clearly that
when I help someone, I will get much more in return.”
Once worried that she might be upset or saddened by her
two weeks in the Village, what she found were families
laughing, children smiling, loved ones enjoying their time
together. “I saw tremendous happiness and love and
through the stars placed by the children in the Castle of
Miracles, I now see light where I feared darkness.”
What word or phrase best sums up Manri’s volunteer
experience at Give Kids The World? “I would say, ‘thank
you,’ to all of the kids I met, the volunteers and the
staff. It has been one of the best experiences of my
life, full of memories that I will take back to Japan
so I can try to touch the hearts and minds of my
countrymen.”
Gingerbread Run Makes History
The fifth annual Gingerbread Run 5k presented by Aaron’s was held at the
Village on November 2, and it was the biggest run yet. This year’s event raised over
$165,000 with more than 1,500 participants walking, running, strolling and rolling through
the Village with numerous fun-filled surprises along the way. The event kicked off with Ethan Riewaldt from ERock
Fitness warming up the crowd with some Zumba moves. As the race began, runners were cheered on by Mayor Clayton,
Ms. Merry and, of course, Murphy the Gingerbread Man.
The Village was even more whimsical during the run, as the course wound through several new themed zones for this
year, including an area where wish families were spraying runners with squirt guns! There was also the thunder zone
where wish families and volunteers grabbed thunder sticks to make noise, encouraging the runners on their journey to the
finish line. One of the most popular Village events, Winter Wonderland, was recreated for the runners as they ran through
the “Florida” snow and were even greeted by Santa Claus. After the race, the fun continued with Nickelodeon hosting
a Slime Show before the winners were presented with their awards. For a full list of winners, visit gingerbreadrun.org.
We could not have achieved this milestone goal without the hard work and incredible fundraising efforts of the participants
and our sponsors. Special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Aaron’s, for your generous support again this year. We’d
also like to thank Nickelodeon Suites Resort, Signature Flight Support Corporation, Boston Market, Orange Lake Resort,
Mix 105.1, WKMG TV and Mix on Wheels for making this year’s Gingerbread Run a deliciously fun event for everyone.
Hopping with Donations for Hope
Guests of Kangaroo Express stores hopped on board in a big way with their
latest fundraiser benefiting Give Kids The World. Throughout the month of
October, Kangaroo Express stores, operated under parent company The
Pantry, Inc., offered pinups for purchase with 100% of all donations benefiting
GKTW. With more than 500 participating stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama
and Mississippi, patrons of their convenience stores generously bought the
paper football pinups and raised more than $230,000 for the Village.
They also hosted the inaugural Roo Run 5k in October which raised $29,000.
Appropriately, the Roo Run was a lively jaunt through the Jacksonville Zoo.
Kangaroo Express has been a valued partner for two years, raising almost
$2 million for GKTW through fundraisers like these. “We started with GKTW
back in 2011, and we just fell in love with [the organization] instantly. [GKTW]
uses their funds in such a great way that we knew this was the kind of
organization that we wanted to partner with,” said Mamie Nesbit, Executive
Assistant at Kangaroo Express.
Thanks to the dedicated commitment and generosity of Kangaroo Express,
more deserving families will have their wishes fulfilled and experience a
magical week of creating lasting memories.
“We started
with GKTW
back in 2011,
and we just
fell in love
with [the
organization]
instantly.
[GKTW] uses their funds
in such a great way that we
knew this was the kind of
organization that we wanted to
partner with.”
~Mamie Nesbit,
Executive Assistant, Kangaroo Express
Extreme Village Makeover is Almost Here!
The countdown is in full swing as Extreme Village Makeover at Give Kids
The World is just around the corner! Excitement is building as we prepare
to celebrate the Village’s 25th Anniversary by completely renovating
100 villas. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is organizing the large-scale
operation that will bring numerous general contractors and hundreds of
subcontractors to the Village from January 12-25 for an around-the-clock
remodeling initiative. Crews will work on cosmetic as well as structural
upgrades to enhance the whimsy and comfort of the accommodations for
our wish families.
This enormous undertaking would not be possible without the tireless
dedication of the Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO) team led by Gary
Rall, Vice President of Resort Renovation and Design. They not only
identified and secured the general contractors to renovate the villas, but
have collaborated with their vendors to secure the materials and additional
labor needed to complete this milestone project. With our partnered efforts,
we have been able to acquire new mattresses for every villa, new plumbing
fixtures for all bathrooms and kitchens, most of the new furnishings that
will adorn the villas and 3,000 gallons worth of interior paint to spruce up
the inside of the villas. With in-kind donations totaling almost $2 million so
far, it is one of the largest projects the Village has ever undertaken.
Thank You to the
EVM Steering
Committee Members
Gary Rall, Vice President of Resort
Renovation and Design, WVO
George and Lisa Schott, Principals,
Quietly Making Noise
Karla Kross, Director of Project
Management WVO
Gina Harmon, Administrative
Assistant, WVO
Ira Locks, Vice President, Charles
Wayne Properties Inc.
Tony Mendez, Director of Safety and
Loss Prevention, WVO
Alisha Waterfield, Project
Coordinator, WVO
The new villas will be ready for families on January 27. When families
resume traveling to the Village, they will be welcomed by modern
enhancements and have more of the comforts of home. We can’t wait to
share the final product with you!
Beth Reitzel-Gordon VP of
Procurement and Installation, WVO
Before
Dana Schafer, Director of Design,
WVO
For more information on
Extreme Village Makeover and to
learn how you can help, visit
givekidstheworld.org/makeover.
After
Dan Kling, Director of Operations
Wyndham Extra Holidays, WVO
Dave Derrick, Director of Public
Works, City of Kissimmee
Boston Market Coupon Books Welcome
in the Holiday Season
The joyous holiday season is quickly approaching and Boston Market has
a great way for you to save some money while supporting GKTW. Our
generous partner is once again offering a coupon book in their stores
for $1, with a portion of the purchase price benefiting the Village. It’s an
incredible value, as the coupons in the book offer $35 in savings to Boston
Market customers. Additionally the contributions will help feed families
visiting the Village.
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For more than five years, Boston Market Corporation has been
providing wholesome, delicious meals to our wish families by
operating Katie’s Kitchen, a free-standing Boston Market restaurant
located in the center of GKTW Village. Named in honor of an alumni
wish child, Katie’s Kitchen has served over 400,000 complimentary
lunches and dinners to wish families at the resort. Without their
support, we could not provide the homestyle meals for the families
who come to experience the magic of GKTW.
Great Gifts for the Holidays
As the holiday season approaches, find the perfect gift for everyone on your
list at our online store. Visit givekidstheworldstore.org to see all the options.
Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry Plushes
$5.95 each
Take home this small version of the
Village’s own mascots.
CANDY LAND Village Edition $10
The special edition GKTW Village
CANDY LAND board game features
all of the whimsical venues and
memorable characters the Village
has to offer.
Plush Teddy Bear $9.95
This cuddly bear will be the perfect
companion any time of day!
Last April, Universal Orlando®
Resort launched their Volunteer
Vacation package, which combines
the fun of their theme parks with
the opportunity to give back by
volunteering at GKTW. The Village
recently welcomed the first two
package purchasers, who happened
to be former wish families. They
were excited to return and give
back to a place that holds a special
spot in their hearts.
Laura Hatfield came to GKTW in
August 2010 for her son Aidan’s
wish trip and was amazed by the
Village. As soon as she heard about
the Volunteer Vacation package,
Laura immediately jumped at the
opportunity to combine her trip
to volunteer with the chance to
visit Universal Orlando® Resort.
“Everything was put together in a
nice package by Universal which
made it really easy. Being able to
utilize their great theme parks
was an added bonus,” Laura
said. Since
Aidan and
his siblings
were still in school,
Laura asked her
friend, Celia Juel,
to accompany her
to Orlando. The two
friends lent their time in the Castle
of Miracles, and were even able to
locate Aidan’s star from his trip!
Universal Helps Vacationers
Give Back
“We had a phenomenal experience, everything was so
positive and everyone was so gracious and kind. When I
heard about this opportunity to come back, I knew I had
to do it because I wanted to be able to pay it forward and let another
child have the experience that my son was able to have.” ~Laura Hatfield
“It’s so different being here and seeing other children’s faces. It brings
back a flood of happy memories that we had while we were here,” recalled
Laura.
Alumni wish parents Brian and Janie Lahmann purchased the package to
surprise their four children with a return trip to Orlando to visit GKTW. They
came in 2008 for Nolan’s wish trip, and had a wonderful experience. When the
kids found out they were coming back to Orlando not only to volunteer, but also
visit Universal Orlando® Resort, they could hardly contain their excitement! As
they served breakfast in the Gingerbread House one morning, you could see
that being at the Village was also a highlight of their trip.
“We’ve wanted to volunteer here, and the package put everything together
from the hotel to transportation to the donation to GKTW. That made it easy
to come as a family and have this great experience,” said Brian.
We are extremely thankful that Universal Orlando® Resort offers this
wonderful opportunity to combine theme park fun with volunteering at GKTW.
For more information, or to book a package, visit universalorlando.com
and visit the Volunteer Vacations page listed under Vacation Packages.
Save The Date
2014 Walt Disney World ® Marathon: Run GKTW Team,
January 8 – 12
Attention all runners! How would you like to support Give Kids The World
while taking part in the world famous Walt Disney World® Marathon? Be
a part of the inaugural Run GKTW team for the 2014 Walt Disney World
® Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna! Registration is now open at
gktw.org/run.
2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend: Run GKTW
Team, February 20 – 23
Have you been holding onto your pink sneakers and tiaras for a special
occasion? Here is your chance to sport your royal running gear as you join
the Run GKTW team for the 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend.
Registration is now open at gktw.org/run.
26th Annual Black & White Gala, May 3, 2014
Join us this spring for our signature event at Hyatt Regency Orlando featuring world-class dining, breathtaking
entertainment and an exciting silent auction. To reserve your table or to learn about sponsorship opportunities,
contact Sandi Thompson at 407-396-1114 ext. 4538 or [email protected].
Lettter from Pam
Dear Friends,
The most magical sound in the world is that of a child’s laughter. And at Give Kids The
World Village, the sound of laughing children that fills the air is especially cherished…as the
children who visit us do so with the burden of life-threatening illnesses.
The challenges these extraordinary children cope with often take away much of the
joy of their young lives. At Give Kids The World Village, these children, and their families
who accompany them for a weeklong, cost-free memorable vacation, are given the priceless
experience of recapturing that joy…of becoming lighthearted, happy children again.
All too often, families may arrive at the Village filled with despair, mentally and
physically exhausted from the struggles that have altered their lives and those of their
beloved children. While at the Village, they are able to leave this anguish behind, forget their
heartache and share happy, precious time together. And here, where happiness inspires hope,
our families tell us an amazing transformation takes place as they and their children find the
strength and the courage to fight on.
As one mom wrote us: During our stay at the Village, it was like a dark veil had lifted
from our lives and we were shown the joy and happiness that we could STILL experience…while we
STILL have time. We will never forget that.
For 26 years, Give Kids The World has been blessed with the caring support of
individual donors, like you, who have helped us keep our promise to never turn away a child.
For this, I am forever grateful to you.
Now, with your generous year-end donation to Give Kids The World you will help
ensure that in the year ahead, many memorable moments of joy and non-stop fun at our
whimsical Village will continue to fill the air with the magical sound of children laughing…
Please make your year-end gift today and give the priceless gifts of happiness and
hope to these brave children who need it the most.
With my heartfelt thanks and best wishes to you and yours for a happy,
joyous holiday season.
With love,
Pamela Landwirth
President
Give Kids The World
210 South Bass Road
Kissimmee, FL 34746
phone (800) 995-KIDS
fax (407) 396-1207
[email protected]
givekidstheworld.org
facebook.com/gktwvillage
twitter.com/gktwvillage
youtube.com/givekidstheworld
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