We missed the bus and did not get to see this property on our recent trip, but it is a great cause so I want to share it with you, and show how Universal Orlando supports it all over the Parks!
“The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true. The little girl’s name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish – to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy’s wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy’s wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy’s travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.
This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy’s story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.
Landwirth enlisted the support of colleagues in the hospitality industry, including our world-famous theme parks, to assist him in bringing these special families to Central Florida within 24 hours if need be. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do – provide memorable, magical, cost-free experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. As the program expanded and the number of families continued to grow, it was apparent that Give Kids The World would need to create a place that could better serve the special needs of our families. The gates of Give Kids The World Village opened in 1989.”
“Today the Village is a 70-acre resort complete with over 144 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with special needs. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 130,000 families from all 50 states and over 75 countries.”
Think of it as a sort of combination of the Make a Wish Foundation and The Ronald McDonald Houses. All the local theme parks help out with free tickets to attractions, and the lodging is free. Clearly as with the first try, when an illness is life threatening, there may be very little time to get the family to the Village to grab some final happiness and memories together. It is great to know the turn around time can be so fast to help the children.
And Universal Orlando helps in other ways. Did you ever wonder where the money went when you threw some coins in a fountain? Well, at Universal Orlando, all that money is donated to the Give Kids the World Village:
We saw these fountains and signs all over the park!
Disclosure: I attended the Mom it Forward’s Family Forward event and received a discounted package for my Universal Orlando visit. I was not obligated to write this post and all opinions are always 100% honest and my own.
Please follow along and try to help in any way you can!
Facebook: facebook.com/GKTWVillage
Flickr: GiveKidsTheWorld
Instagram: GKTWVillage
Twitter: @GKTWVillage
YouTube: GiveKidsTheWorld
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