Fred Lee’s social network
MAGICAL MEMORIES Twenty-five years ago, Lori Fergusson, an Air Canada employee, decided to do something to improve the lives of physically, mentally or socially challenged children.
Airline volunteers in Toronto launched a charity sending a planeload of disadvantaged children to Walt Disney World. The first flight in 1990 sent 68 children on a oneday trip to Florida. The idea inspired Lori. In 1991, she started a Vancouver chapter of Dreams Take Flight, providing trips of a lifetime and magical memories for some deserving kids.
Now a national volunteer charitable organization, and with the aid of Air Canada and other national and local organizations and businesses, flights to the “Happiest Place on Earth” take off annually from eight major cities in Canada — Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
While approaching Air Canada to donate a plane was the easy part, raising the money to cover fuel, handling charges, ground transportation, entrance fees, food and clothing — not to mention selecting the kids who get to go to either Disneyland or Disney World — would be a much tougher task.
Up to the challenge every year, 2017 marked a milestone for Dreams Take Flight Vancouver as it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Now led by Fergusson’s successor Melissa Hance — Fergusson died from brain cancer in 2008 — and an army of 250 dedicated volunteers, 130 kids (ages six to 11) selected from 26 local and provincial agencies made this year’s silver anniversary flight. Yours truly had the opportunity to go on the whirlwind trip and witness the magic firsthand.
The events start the day before as out-oftown families arrive at the Pacific Gateway Hotel for a welcome reception. It is early to bed and an early morning sendoff from a specially decorated Air Canada hangar. Volunteers and chaperons greet the wide-eyed kids at 4 a.m. with much fanfare.
The kids are showered with clothing, cameras and other accessories before being whisked away like royalty to embark on a 767 plane for a 6:30 a.m. departure.
The energy and excitement in the 260-seat cabin was enough to propel the plane to California. We would arrive at an LAX hangar around 9:30 a.m., met again with more pomp and pageantry. Awaiting TSA agents burst into song with a rousing rendition of Pharrell Williams’ Happy song, before whisking the kids, volunteers and medical staff on to buses destined for Disneyland.
Thirteen teams of 10 would enjoy a full eight hours in the Magic Kingdom meeting their favourite Disney characters and taking delight in the front-of-the-line access to all the rides at the storied theme park, not to mention all the food and drink.
Each child was also gifted a shopping spree at the Disney Store. The plane ride home would be much quieter with almost all the children (and a few adults) fast asleep. We would return to Vancouver and awaiting family members 20 hours later.
It would be exactly midnight when the tired kids disembarked loaded with toys and gifts showered upon them from Dreams, Disneyland and presenting sponsors Mattel, Crocs, Bentley, Allianz, Party City, Air Canada and Air Canada Foundation.
They would race into the arms of tearful relatives and friends filled with a lifetime of magical memories. Since its inception, the Dreams Take Flight program — all volunteer driven — has provided more than 25,000 children the opportunity to forget their troubles for one incredible day.
“I could not be more proud of our team of volunteers who have worked tirelessly all year round to make this dream a reality for these children.
“There was no shortage of smiles and laughter from both little and big kids. It was the perfect day to celebrate our 25th-anniversary flight and honour the memory of the founder of the Vancouver Chapter, Lori Fergusson,” said a tearful Hance, the president of Dreams Take Flight Vancouver.
NIFTY 50 FOR HOT WHEELS Since 1967, the Health and Home Care Society of B.C. has operated the Meals on Wheels program in Vancouver and Richmond.
The 50th anniversary of Meals on Wheels was an opportunity to thank the many people who have been instrumental in the program’s success.
Some 400 guests convened at the Westin Bayshore Hotel on a Saturday night to help Care B.C. blow out the birthday candles as well as thank the 400 volunteers who deliver daily the hundreds of nutritious meals and friendly visits to homebound people who are unable to shop or prepare meals on their own.
Board president Tom Chambers and executive director Inge Schamborzki thanked guests for attending the special dinner and dance that netted the charity $200,000.
A $50,000 gift from Helen Shore — a longtime volunteer and now client of the MOW program — ignited the night of giving.
A Fireman’s dinner and a Japan Airlines trip to Tokyo would add another $20,000 and $9,000, respectively.
Along with individual donations that showered the firm, the organization would post its largest haul to date.
“This evening we celebrate five decades of service to the community — and to give thanks to the community of supporters,” said Schamborzki.
“Dedicated volunteers last year served more than 118,000 meals to some 1,300 clients.” STARS WORK MIRACLES Music man David Foster marked his foundation’s 30th anniversary with a star-studded fundraising gala and concert. The award-winning producer and musician tapped 30 high-profile friends — including Jay Leno, Steven Tyler, Goldie Hawn, Dr. Phil McGraw and Oprah to make an appearance at arguably the city’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
Since its inception, the foundation has promoted organ donor awareness and helped with the non-medical expenses of more than 1,100 Canadian families. Financial support of non-medical expenses ranges from mortgage, rent and car payments, to airline tickets, groceries, parking and gas.
Often, families have to travel away from home and set up temporary housing close to one of eight pediatric transplant hospitals in Canada.
The Victoria-native thanked gala attendees and concert-ticket holders for attending the Miracle Gala and Concert, which raised a record-breaking $10.2 million to help Canadian families.
In return, the more than 850 gala guests and 9,000 concert attendees were treated to unforgettable musical performances by Foster, The Tenors, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cee Lo Green, Matteo Bocelli, Laura Bretan and Reba McEntire. Jim and Sandi Treliving and Jim
Pattison supported the evening’s cause by donating $1 million each to the fundraising goal of the evening. Pattison, along with Walter Schneider, were also honoured as recipients of the Foundation’s Visionary Awards, recognizing both men for their extraordinary contributions to local, regional and national humanitarian efforts.