During the IAAPA Attractions Expo, GKTW President Pamela Landwirth and the Enivrons team celebrate the amazing donation of a new ship for the Village's Park of Dreams. The brand new addition is a generous gift from Environs and will be complete in January 2010.
Siemens and its Sylvania brand invited Wish child Malia to flip the switch to officially turn on the amazing Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The first annual Give Kids The World 5k Fun Run raised an amazing $41,000.
The top female runners were Jen Alvarez, Diane Doppenburg and Rebecca Blue and the top male runners were Daniel Conn, Anthony Staffa and Cale Dobay.
Congratulations to the Run’s almost 400 participants.
The third annual Celebrity Resorts’ Golf Spooktacular took place October 29 at the historic Dubsdread Golf Course and raised $20,000 for Give Kids The World. Miss Florida USA, Megan Clementi, joined the Halloween-themed event
Walmart Region 5 in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania hosted its first ever golf tournament to benefit Give Kids The World (GKTW).
After the two-day event, Walmart Regional Vice President Ronny Hayes joined Britt Roberts-Faulk, Manager of Market # 483 and Corey Confer, Manager of Market # 326 in presenting GKTW President Pam Landwirth with a check totaling an amazing $373,000!
The duo spent Day 41 of their 67 day adventure through Central Florida volunteering in the Ice Cream Palace to help promote the Village's voluntourism opportunities.
All the bases were loaded for Give Kids The World
in Kingston, Pennsylvania as the Walmart Market #326 hosted a fun-filled softball tournament for GKTW.
Eleven participating Walmart stores enjoyed the event which raised $13,500. The first pitch of the day was thrown by special guest, GKTW Wish child Zack Hinkle.
Coaster enthusiasts from CoasterBuzz joined GKTW president Pam Landwirth at Cedar Point for the “Coasting for Kids” marathon.
The enthusiasts collected pledges for the Village as they rode the Gemini roller coaster for more than eight hours, raising almost $10,000 for Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village had an amazing and special day on Tuesday, June 23 with the film production,
"Letters to God."
This heartwarming movie is about how a young boy fighting cancer finds strength and hope through writing letters to God. GKTW is excited to be included and is looking forward to the Spring 2010 release of this one-of-a-kind movie.
We offer an incredible THANK YOU to the generous cast, crew and production team!
The 21st Annual Give Kids The World Black & White Gala was truly an evening to remember. The Peabody Orlando hosted the event, attended by more than 1,200 guests.
Give Kids The World Founder Henri Landwirth and Give Kids The World President Pamela Landwirth were joined this year by a very special guest.
Young Princess Alyssa, a former Wish child, welcomed Gala attendees as they explored the Garden of Hope display, and later she joined Pamela on stage, telling everyone of her family's magical stay at Give Kids The World Village.
The extraordinary evening raised $400,000 for the Village.
The cast members of Guiding Light surprised GKTW Wish families with a visit to the Village. Robert Newman, Kim Zimmer, Robert Bogue and Mandy Bruno spent the evening posing for photos, signing autographs - and sharing plenty of hugs. The longes t running drama ever, Guiding Light has entertained radio and television fans for 70 years. Village families, enjoyed the special visit sharing dinner in the Gingerbread House, a visit to the La Ti Da Spa and ice cream with the actors.
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Amidst brightly colored balloons, delicious food and excited guests, Give Kids The World celebrated the opening of Katie’s Kitchen, the Village’s newest restaurant. Generously sponsored by Boston Market, Katie’s Kitchen will provide complimentary meals for the Village’s Wish families.
In late 2008, Boston Market developed a coupon booklet that featured GKTW.
The booklets were sold in Boston Market restaurants nationwide with the proceeds directly benefiting GKTW’s efforts to open Katie’s Kitchen.
During the grand opening event, Boston Market’s CEO Rick Arras presented GKTW President Pamela Landwirth with a check for $500,000 and the keys to the new restaurant.
During the annual IAAPA Expo, Neptune-Benson executives made the commitment to donate one of their company’s Defender filters for the Village’s new pool complex.
Celebrity Resorts raised $20,000 for Give Kids The World at the second annual charity Golf Spooktacular, a Halloween-themed golf tournament.
Give Kids The World has earned the Florida Green Lodging Program One Palm Certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a result of our internal recycling program, diligent use of energy and our commitment to conserving and protecting Florida's natural resources.
Led by the efforts of the GKTW Green Team, we are proud to provide an environmentally-friendly and "green" Village to our staff, volunteers, partners and families.
American Airlines and the Something mAAgic Foundation celebrated the 13th Annual WishFlight at the Village. WishFlight, Something mAAgic's annual marquee event, sends children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to Give Kids The World Village. Miss America 2008, Kirsten Haglund joined in the festivities that included the dedication ceremony of the new villa the foundation supported and the check presentation of the final installment to GKTW president, Pam Landwirth.
In an awards' show hosted by Give Kids The World, Amusement Today announced the winners of its prestigious 2008 Golden Ticket Awards. The Golden Ticket Awards are presented to the "Best of the Best" in the amusement industry calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today. Surveys were sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world - in balanced geographical regions - asking them to rate the "bests" in 25 categories such as "amusement parks," "roller coasters," "shows," "friendliest staff" and "water rides." With special performances from the magical duo It's Unbelievable! and Walt Disney World's The JAMMitors, Golden Ticket guests enjoyed a fun-filled day at the Village. At the day's end, Amusement Today editor in chief, Gary Slade, surprised GKTW president, Pamela Landwirth with a $7,000 donation to the Village.
Tony Stewart finished a strong third last Saturday in the NASCAR Carfax 250 Nationwide Series race. His No. 20 Old Spice car featured a brand new, one-of-a-kind design, complete with Mayor Clayton on the hood. Replacing the traditional candy apply red colors of primary sponsor Old Spice the car was a kaleidoscope of colors care of 14-year-old Emily Marsala. Emily, a former GKTW Wish child, won the recent "Design Tony's Old Spice car" contest that the Village sponsored for Wish children. Her fun-filled sketches commemorated Old Spice's support of GKTW, as well as the ongoing, generous support of GKTW from Old Spice's parent company - Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Emily and her family joined GKTW president Pamela Landwirth in Michigan for the Carfax 250. She spent time with the P&G Marketing team, driver Tony Stewart and even helped push the car out onto the track with the Old Spice crew before cheering him on during the race.
Tony Stewart and his team came in 3rd at the end of the race - but the special children of GKTW were the real winners of the day. At the car's unveiling earlier this week, The Tony Stewart Foundation, Old Spice and Joe Gibbs Racing presented Give Kids The World with a generous donation of $100,000.
Amidst excited children, a rainfall of confetti and heartfelt emotions. Give Kids The World, the nonprofit organization based in Kissimmee, Florida, today opened the world's only life-sized CANDY LAND. Hasbro, Inc. donated the one-of-a-kind Matthew's Boundless Playground to the organization, bringing the beloved children's game to life. Give Kids The World, fulfills wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Matthew's Boundless Playground will allow children of all abilities to enjoy this new colorful and "sweet" playland as they explore the magical world Hasbro created just for them.
In a special dedication, the family of young Matthew McGowan, for whom Matthew's Boundless Playground is named, joined executives from Give Kids The World and Hasbro as together they cut the ribbon and all took the first steps down the Candy Land trail.
Matthew's Boundless Playground at Give Kids The World Village measures 240 feet by 60 feet and transports children into a life-sized version of the game of Candy Land. Complete with a colorful trail that leads through Gumdrop Pass and the Lollipop Forest to the Candy Castle. Children can not only enjoy the interactive Playground elements, but for the first time ever, can play the "World's Largest Candy Land game" alongside their favorite Candy Land characters: King Kandy, Princess Frostine, Mr. Mint and Gloppy.
"Matthew's Boundless Playground is a dream come to life for the children who visit Give Kids The World, and this day would not be possible without our generous friends at Hasbro," said Pamela Landwirth, president of Give Kids The World. "Our Village is truly a haven for our families, and is a place to create magical memories to last a lifetime. This incredible playground embodies the spirit and hope that Give Kids The World inspires in all of the families we serve."
The opening of Matthew's Boundless Playground marks another happy milestone in the evolution of Give Kids The World's relationship with international toy company Hasbro, Inc., Candy Land's manufacturer. A longtime supporter of Give Kids The World, Hasbro designed and produced the first custom edition of a Candy Land game two years ago to commemorate the organization's 20th anniversary. Inspired by the whimsical nature of Give Kids The World Village, it was a natural fit to create a playground built with the Candy Land theme, in the process creating the world's first life-sized Candy Land game.
"The Give Kids The World mission embodies the goals of Hasbro, Inc.'s corporate philanthropy efforts to bring joy and laughter into the lives of children and their families," said Brian Goldner, CEO of Hasbro, Inc. "The spirit of Candy Land comes to life at this magical place, which was created to bring joy to the children who need it the most."
Matthew's Boundless Playground is located at Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida, just outside of the city of Orlando. The construction of the playground is the first part of the Village's Expansion, which will more than double the capacity of the Village, providing accommodations for 196 families each night.
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