Local News
‘Dreams do come true’, 119 kids set for trip of a lifetime with Dreams Take Flight
A group of children are getting ready for the trip of a lifetime with Dreams Take Flight. The initiative began in 1989 when a group of Air Canada employees started raising money to take children with special needs on an unforgettable trip to the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. Since then, the one-day adventure has given hundreds of children the chance to leave their worries behind and experience the joy of Disney, with trips to either California or Florida. In 2002, Steinbach’s Carolyne Wiebe and her son Korey, who had cerebral palsy, were invited to join Dreams Take Flight. “I chose my husband at first to go because 9/11 had just happened and the fear of flying and stuff like that before kind of scared us and me and Corey have never flown before. But after a few days of thinking about it, it's like God spoke to me and said, ‘No, this was your dream to take your son on a trip of a lifetime that he couldn't go otherwise.’” The trip began with a special dinner and hotel stay before heading to the airport at 3 a.m. “We got through all the customs and everything. And when we got upstairs, we were greeted with t-shirts and Mickey Mouse hats and goodie bags with autographed books and pens and stuff like that in it. We boarded the plane and the flight to Disney World was about 3 hours and 45 minutes. The flight attendants were amazing. The pilots, they all had their Mickey Mouse hats on when we were greeted.” The plane was dedicated entirely to the group, and the excitement was contagious. “To see the excitement on these kids' faces was unbelievable. They were pillow fighting on the plane. They were playing games. It was amazing. It was just to hear the laughter. The excitement of all these children going was just beautiful.” Though Korey was wheelchair-bound and non-verbal, his joy was easy to see. “Through his body movements, through his smiles, through his facial expressions, that's how we knew that he still enjoyed himself. And I think being a mom, that was always one of my dreams, so my dream did come true. But my dream was to always be able to take him. And with him being quadriplegic and having cerebral palsy, we knew that would never happen. So, when we had this opportunity, it was beautiful,” Wiebe says. Dreams Take Flight Winnipeg Board Chair Wayne Lambert has been involved since the beginning and was on the same trip as Wiebe and Korey. “I cannot tell you how excited I have been to meet this wonderful lady, because people don't realize our rules are after the flight, we have no further contact. It's kind of a cruel thing to do to any volunteer because we want to see how the children flourish afterwards.” The two recently reunited to reminisce and look over old photos, a meaningful moment since Korey has since passed away. Lambert even brought a few gifts. “He brought me a blanket and a Mickey Mouse. It's so wonderful,” says Wiebe. @steinbach_online The next #DreamsTakeFlight trip is planned for October 9 with a special guest going along… find out more at #SteinbachOnline ♬ I'll Be with You from This Day Forward, For Better, For Worse, For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and in Health, To Love and to Cherish, Till Death Do Us Part (feat. Anastasia Goose) - Andrei Krylov Lambert says Dreams Take Flight gives underprivileged and special needs children the opportunity to experience something they might otherwise never have. “Physically, the child cannot spend time in a hotel overnight or take the flight all the way down there. So, we provide doctors on board that come with us. There are full medical teams at Disney. The safety is unparalleled. Everything is taken care of from everything you possibly need. It's a day of yes. There is nothing that we say no to.” Thanks to generous donors and sponsors, the trip is completely free for the children, and countless volunteers help make it possible. “Air Canada gives us our own plane, it's our plane from front to back. Volunteers from the pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, people even with the little sticks waving outside. Everybody is a volunteer. Every dollar you donate to us goes to those kids.” This year, 119 children will take part in the next Dreams Take Flight adventure on October 9. “To know that they're still continuing is so wonderful, so wonderful. It's such a great experience and something that would never happen with our son, but something that I've always dreamed of. Dreams do come true,” says Wiebe. Mix 96 Morning Show host Corny Rempel will be volunteering on the upcoming trip. Follow the MIX 96 Facebook page and SteinbachOnline for updates and coverage from the experience. With files from Corny Rempel