DREAM COME TRUE

Cape Breton children enjoy trip to Walt Disney World

Kids come home from Disney trip.

Walt Disney World is a magical place for people of all ages and four local children found that out first-hand on Wednesday.

The children, between the ages of six and 12, from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality travelled to Orlando, Fla. this week as part of the Dreams Take Flight program.

Dan Vaters, representative for Dreams Take Flight in Cape Breton, travelled with the children to the sunshine state. He said the trip was a dream come true for the children.

“It was an unbelievable trip,” said Vaters. “The kids enjoyed themselves taking part in all the rides, but Splash Mountain was probable their favourite.”

The children began the trip on Tuesday, flying to Halifax from Sydney, before boarding a plane to Orlando early Wednesday morning. The children arrived in Florida later that morning, starting their oneday Walt Disney World visit shortly after 9 a.m., spending more than 10 hours in the magical kingdom, before flying back to Canada the same evening.

The children were given VIP treatment, receiving new sneakers, shorts, a T-shirt and hat. They were also given a Dreams Take Flight blanket and pillow for the plane ride.

“It was a busy day, but it was a fun day for the kids,” said Vaters, who according to an app on his phone took 27,000 steps on Wednesday. “The kids got to do many things, like rides, shows and the look on their faces made it all worthwhile.”

Dreams Take Flight is a national volunteer charitable organization dedicated to providing the trip of a lifetime to Walt Disney World for children who may face medical, mental, physical, social or emotional challenges across Canada. With help from Air Canada, as well as national and local organizations and businesses, money is raised to make the trip possible.

In total, 160 children from across Atlantic Canada went on the trip this year, while 57 volunteers participated.

Vaters said over the years the program had up to 16 children from Cape Breton participating. He said the organizing committee is working to reach that number in the future.

Although this year’s trip is over, Dreams Take Flight Cape Breton is already planning for next year’s trip, scheduled for April 2018.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/DON VATERS From left, John-Ryan Christmas, Don Vaters, Halle Gould, Christopher Frison and Zackary McPhee are seen standing in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The children visited Walt Disney World this week as part of the Dreams...