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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-05-13, Page 13Second Section - May 13, 1998 MakeAWish Foundation helps child's dream come true By Kate Monk T A Reporter EXETER - Brooke Bell of Exeter had a .dream of visiting Florida to see her heroes Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Thanks to the Make -a -Wish Foundation, her wish came true in March when seven-year-old Brooke and her parents Roxanne and David made the journey to Florida to stay at the Give Kids. a World Village. The Make-a=Wish Foundation is an interna tional non-profit organization that fulfills the special wishes of children between the -ages of two and one-half and 18 who have a life- threatening illness. A family friend knew the Bells' wanted to take Brooke to Florida•and recommended the wish to the Make -a -Wish Foundation last November: By December, the Belts received the good news they had been accepted and would make the trip in March. But they weren't prepared for all the trip included. "We were blown away," David said. "There's no stone they left unturned." The Bells had a personal wish co-ordinator. .tidy' Rounthwaite•-(based int London) who acted as a liaison to make sure everything was in order for the Bells. This'in'cluded a personal visit and telephone conversations relating to the trip itinerary but especially questions about Brooke personally to ensure the trip would-be a dream come true. ' The 'trip started with a limousine ride from their home. to the airpon in Detroit. The Belts _were greeted in Orlando by 'a volunteer of the Make -A _Wish Foundation who helped arrange a suitable rental vehicle and guided them to the Give Kids the Worid Villager ••-.. 1 . The village is d 35 -acre resort for families such as the Belts.• David said families from around the world were at the' resort during• their sta}. The village flies the flag from the country of -the family who has travelled the farthest and. for a few days. the Canadian flag flew' in honor of the Bells' visit. "'No' isn't.a par of their vocabulary, ;David said of the people at the -resort. "Everything you wanted or needed was there." • Their two-bedroom condominium included a fully Stocked fridge. appliances and laundry room:and was completely handicapped accessible.. The Make -A -Wish Foundation, the resort and the Bells made sure this would be.a trip A dream come true. Thanks to the Make -A -Wish Foundation, Brooke Bell, along with her parents David and Roxanne travelled to Florida 'in March wt ere i Brooke met her hero Mickey Mouse' mice. . At the theme parks; Brooke receivcd'prcfer- ential treatment for rides and to meet the charas+ ters. It was greatly.appreciated since she would n't have been ahtc to physic.alty endure the long waiting periods. The Bells' vacation package also included their meals. admissions to attractions. transportation and spending money. The Bells said 'corporate .dgnations and volunteers litay a large role in mak- ing the experience possible. The food,' meals and several products are donated 'by corporations. through actual • products ' or as financial • contributions. The .donations are substantial' For example, the, Hard Rock Cafe donated $500,000 to the Make -A -Wish Foundation this year. according' to Roxanne. Even the limousine ride to and from the Detroit airport was donated by .a London-based limousine company. Volunteers helped ensure, altthe needs were met. David said different service clubs take a turn serving meals in the on-site restaurant or working throughout the resort. There were two 'volunteers for every employee. Brooke would never forget. "brooke was treated like royalty," Roxanne said. "She loved it and drank it all up." Brooke received a gift each day and special visits from cartoon and fairy tale charai ters, The highlight, of course, was meeting Mickey and Minnie. Brooke's.eyes lit up when her par- ents described her visit with the larger than life "The volunteers were so happy to do their _jobs. They took an amazing interest in.ns," Roxanne said. The experience will last a lifetime for the ' Belli.. Probably the'hest phrase to describe the experience comes from Roxanne. "There were no worries, she said. Science uest Mad scientists. On May 6, Grade 4-8 students from over 16 schools converged on S.H.D.H.S. for Science Quest 1998. S.H.D.H.S science teacher and event organizer, George McEwan calls the science exhibition, "very interactive... the kids do as much as they can with al! of the sciences." The three components to this year's event included dy- namic ynamic displays, chemistry laboratories and a Science Quest Olympics which included events like an egg drop and a mathematics competition. ,From left, Darren Martin, Jayson Brooks, Kyle Walker and Derek Wilting; students from Bedford Public School in Stratford. The trip gave the Bells an appreciation of the Make -A -Wish Foundation and the large amount of resources required to grant children's wishes.. The foundation was founded in 1980 in - Phoenix when a small group of people helped a very ill little boy achieve his wish to -be a state trooper for a day. Currently there are 80 chapters in the U.S.- and more than -15 international affiliates. . The local organization was founded in 1986 in London. The group's first child was a nine-year- old boy whose health was deteriorating -to a point where he could no longer speak or write. His Wish was for a -computer to help- him .communicate. • • The -most popular wish is a trip to Disney World" in Florida,; nearly 50 per cent of the wish children ask to meet Mickey Mouse. Other popu- lar wishes include computers, celebrity meetings and trips to various locations. The Make -A -Wish Foundation -encourages the entire family to be part of the wish experience, knowing parents and siblings need magical moments just as 'much as the wish child. The average cost of -a wish• is $4.000. This is based on the cost .of a trip to Disney World for a family of foiir'fo.r eight days and seven nights. • Most of the foundation's funding comes from individuals. Other funding sources include corpo,- rations. foundations. community organizations, schools and churches. The Make -A -Wish Foundation. of Southwestern Ontario has established h donor program called Adopt -A -Wish, whereby an indi- vidual. group, company or corporation can desig- nate their funds toward a specific wish. In return they receive non -identifying information about -the child, a brief description of the wish and follow-up after completion of the wish. 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