Give Kids The World

Waverly & Santa

I mentioned in an earlier post that we stayed at a resort called Give Kids The World while on Wavey's wish trip.  This place is INCREDIBLE.  It was started about 20 years ago by a man with a passion for children with terminal illnesses.  He wanted to give them a place to call home while they were on their wish trip.  He created this beautiful village for families.  Each wish family is given a 2 bedroom/2 bath villa for their stay.  The villa has everything one would need on a vacation.  The one bathroom has a jacuzzi tub and gigantic walk-in shower with a bathing seat.  The property itself has a fantastic playground that is toally handicap accessible, a lovely pool, carousel, train for the kids to ride, putt-putt, and horseback riding.  They are also about to open a new pool with a ramp for kids to enter with a water wheelchair and a huge sprinkler park.  They also have the most incredible ice cream parlor, with free ice cream from early in the morning until late at night.  They have a lovely dining room for breakfast and dinner, with volunteers available to assist with carrying trays and getting refills.  There is a snack shop, movie theater, and a "castle of dreams".  In the castle they wish kids are able to write their name on a gold star and have it placed on the ceiling, where it will stay forever.  Parents can return years later and visit their child's star.

Everything is provided for the wish family while they are staying there - food, activities, park tickets, event tickets.  And every day a gift is left for the wish child (and siblings).  Waverly received 10 DVDs, toys, stuffed animals, books, cards, bags, etc.  (We had to buy an additional piece of luggage to bring home all of her presents!)  Each night is themed.  On Thursdays, they pretend it is Christmas...complete with Santa Claus handing out gifts, faux snow, cookie decorating and a little holiday parade.

One of my favorite things about GKTW was the feeling I got there.  The village has a small staff and hundreds of volunteers, all of whom went out of their way to make us feel welcome.  And we were surrounded by other families.  Other families that understood what it is like to have a child with special needs.  We never felt out of place.  We never felt like we stood out.  It was a fantastic feeling!

Please take some time to check out the Give Kids The World website.  They are an incredible organization of worthy of any donation you are able to give.  They are also always looking for volunteers, so if you live in the Orlando area or spend your winters there, check it out.  It is bound to be a very rewarding experience.  They also have some corporate sponsors who give a lot of money to keep the village going.  They are Proctor & Gamble, Disney, Sea World, Universal, Boston Market, Budget, Hasbro, Friendly's, Coca-Cola, Mars, Ecolab, Sony, Walmart, Perkins, etc.  I am planning on writing each of them a personal letter thanking them for their generosity.  Remember that if you purchase something from these companies, a portion of your money is going to GKTW.

The House of Hearts

Ice Cream Shop

Castle of Miracles

Star Filled Ceiling

Gingerbread House (dining room)

Sprinkler Park

 Example of a villa