2/23: Give Kids The World

[Al Lutz]

Here's a great cause and a challenge... Wouldn't it be great if the Disney online community got together to help? Share your thoughts here!

[icarian]

This is an excellent charity, and though not mentioned in the article, Disney is a major contributer to GKTW, and visiting families often are paid visits by the mouse himself.

I worked for Perkins (the company that donates all of the foodservice at GKTW) for over 4 years, and yearly our company sent an employee who raised the most money for the foundation to GKTW for free, to donate time in the gingerbread house.

I will personally be donating to this drive, just as i continue to donate to GKTW every visit to a perkins restaurant. (they have the standard change collection things at the registers, as well as buttons and candles and such )

Im not sure, but i believe you can contact GKTW to arrange volunteer time as well, if you are in the orlando area that is.

Personally, I can't think of any way to make a WDW vacation more memorable than knowing the positive impact you helped leave for a child whose only wish was to be able to do the exact same thing you flew to orlando to do. (ESPECIALLY if you're a micechatter and you get to see the finished product of our fund drive, as well as the smile on the face of a child living out their wishes)

[kcnole]

This is a wonderful challenge Kevin and I'll be passing this along to the other fansites I visit. I'll find a way somehow to donate something. Money is very very tight but I still find a way to get down to Disney once a year. I'd love a hand, albeit a small one, in helping make that dream come true for these children.

[kcnole]

I've got a wonderful idea for this charity that would really allow Disney to step up front and center. They could change the name of their charity to "Give the kids the wand" and Disney could lovingly donate the epcot wand to sit right on one of their buildings.

I Keed, I keed.

[DiRTyBuNNy]

I've got a wonderful idea for this charity that would really allow Disney to step up front and center. They could change the name of their charity to "Give the kids the wand" and Disney could lovingly donate the epcot wand to sit right on one of their buildings.

I Keed, I keed.

Can they take Jay Rasulo along with it?

and I think this is an awesome charity and I've already added links to the drive along with Kevin's awesome article to my blog to raise as much awareness as possible (next will be putting it on my myspace page).

--Mr. DB

[Allitalianboy]

Hi,
I am not sure. I hate to be the bringer of bad news but how will Disney even find out? You can make up as many Myspaces as you want but it is not like they search for people who think they have great charities for Disney. If Disney wanted to do that they prob. would have or or they thought about it and said no. This would be costing disney/EPCOT quite a bit of money to to be generously donating a huge amount of wands or something.
Sorry but even if you make up enough money do you think DisneyWorld or Land/EPCOT will accept this money?

Sorry,
Allitalianboy

[kcnole]

What are you talking about? I think you are not understanding what is going on here.

[Greg]

Not only does GKTW facilitate the granting of very ill children's wishes, families who visit are given time to just enjoy life again for awhile. It's a break from the stress of battling the illness, a time for family togetherness and in our case (we were there 6 years ago) it was emotionally healing for the entire family.

Our daughter is in remission of her cancer and her prognosis is good. She was five when we visited and we as a family have a goal to return and volunteer for a month to try and provide a healing experience for other families battling a serious children's disease.

It’s a very good cause.

Greg

[sir clinksalot]

Wow Kevin. Thanks for the article.

I'd never even heard of GKTW. We will definately be contributing.

[Club 33]

Great article Kevin. I plan to donate, and I've added a link and a donate box to my own site as well. I really think we can do this; MiceChat alone has over 12,000 members, just think of the possiblities if we all work together towards a common goal.

[RenMan]

MiceChat alone has over 12,000 members, just think of the possiblities if we all work together towards a common goal.

You know, we could have this $25,000 by the end of today without much problem! There are tons of members here. All it would take is 250 people giving $100 each. A lot of people here have that kind of money to give.

They really oughta accept PayPal at that site, though. It would make giving easier.

[RenMan]

or, 1000 people giving $25. No problem.

[sir clinksalot]

Spoke with Robb over at Theme Park Review and he said it was fine to create a thread and link Kevin's article.

Hopefully a few people from there will donate a bit.

[KevinYee]

I want to say thank you to those who have donated (or will do so soon). Word is already spreading to other websites and blogs and I'm just really upbeat about our chances of success.

When I visited that place, it was so heartwarming it would be impossible NOT to mount a drive.

The synergy between these folks (want to visit WDW) and our online crowd (we spend hours and hours discussing WDW) is just so perfect.

And a Wish-Child really puts life into perspective. FastPass? Disney Dining Plan? They all start to pale.

[sir clinksalot]

Also spoke with Jim Disney at [Link to unauthorized site removed] and the link is now posted over there.