September 12, 2013 by Florida Plunge
Tonight my eyes were opened and my heart was filled. I had the pleasure of visiting and learning more about Give Kids the World Village. Give Kids the World Village is a non profit 70 acre (and growing) “storybook” resort, located near Central Florida’s major attractions such as Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. Give Kids the World Village works closely with Make a Wish and over 250 other wish granting organizations to ensure children with wishes to visit Central Florida have their wishes granted. Children, between the ages of 3 to 18, with life threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a week long, all expenses paid vacation filled with the most magical of memories.
My first impression when I stepped off the bus onto the Give Kids the World Property was WOW! You could immediately feel the love and excitement that takes place each week at this wonderful place. Let’s face it, when you hear the words “terminally ill child” you don’t think of laughter and smiles, but that’s exactly what Give Kids the World Villages gives. Give Kids the World Village left no stone unturned for these families. From the beautiful 2 bedroom / 2 bath (all wheelchair accessible) villas, to the magical mushroom themed Carousel, Train rides, Marcs Dinoput-putting range, Matthew’s Boundless Playground, the Castle of Miracles and one of my favorites…an over the top Ice Cream Parlor that serves ice cream for breakfast! Oh wait, there’s more. There’s also themed nights during every families stay. These nights include Halloween in which the kids get to go trick-or-treating, there is Idol night where some kids will perform and other kids will line up to get their autographs. There is also game day in which the families will play a game of Candy Land, but not just any game of Candy Land. This game takes place on the largest Candy Land Board, which circles Matthew’s Boundless Playground, and the best part you are the pawn that moves around the board. There is also tonight’s celebration…CHRISTMAS! That’s right, every Thursday night Santa Claus finds his way to the Give Kids the World Village where he provides every child with a gift provided by Hasbro. Once a child has seen Santa, the families get to celebrate the season with Jack Frost and all of his friends for some dancing and reindeer games. I can vouch after attending tonight’s Christmas festivities, the kids LOVE celebrating Christmas at Give Kids the World Village.
As I said at the beginning of this post, tonight my eyes were opened and my heart was filled. I must admit, I did give my kiddos a special hug as I tucked them in tonight and I also said a prayer of Thank You for all that we have. I was honored to attend Give Kids the World 1st annual Blogger Bash and I look forward to continuing to be an “Awareness Angel” for them.
If you’d like to help Give Kids the World continue to make wishes come true, visit Give Kids the World’s Wish List and see how you can help make a difference in a child’s life.