40th Anniversary Event Shines a Light of Legacy, Hope and Joy

Mar 10th, 2026 [Kissimmee, FL]

Calling it a family reunion, Give Kids The World, the nonprofit organization which provides wish vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families, hosted an incredible 40th anniversary celebration. On Saturday, March 7, which would have been Give Kids The World Founder Henri Landwirth's 99th birthday, Give Kids The World brought together wish families - current and alumni - volunteers, friends and supporters to connect, reflect, and look forward.

As part of the anniversary, Give Kids The World unveiled a star in its whimsical Castle of Miracles in Landwirth's honor. More than 200,000 stars, each representing a wish child who has been to Give Kids The World, twinkle in the Castle's "sky" and the addition of a star for Landwirth is both a symbolic and physical way the organization is keeping his legacy at the forefront.

"The stars are a deep tradition here at Give Kids The World," said Caroline Schumacher, president and CEO of Give Kids The World. "Every wish child receives a small star which they personalize during their wish trip. Each night, our Star Fairy carefully hangs each child's star among the Castle sky. The addition of Henri's star allows us to pause and remember why we do what we do. Henri's star is our North Star. It provides our navigational direction and purpose and serves as a guiding light as we head into our next forty years and beyond."

Along with the symbolic star, Give Kids The World debuted a short feature film entitled, "What Henri Gave the World." The feature, written and produced by children's book author Audrey Perrott and directed by Central Florida cinematographer Fernando Tosetti, shares Henri's personal story as a child who survived the Holocaust and immigrated to the United States. "

As I wrote the manuscript and we began to work on the film, we envisioned a star as a metaphor to represent Henri's life, his family, and the children who come to Give Kids The World," said Perrott. "It allowed us to talk about the dark parts of his story in a gentle way that opens doors for conversations without becoming overwhelming. We knew it was important to tell his whole story, because without sharing the dark experiences, Give Kids The World would not be as bright."

"As a teen, living through the Holocaust, my father never knew what the next day would bring for him," shared Gary Landwirth, Henri's son. "Years later, he recognized that uncertainty in the children he met at Give Kids The World. Wish children and their families were drawn to him because they knew his background, they knew what he had been through and they knew that he understood them. The families at Give Kids The World are dealing with dark, challenging times that have stolen moments of light from their childhood, and my dad would say he saw himself in their eyes. You can't tell Give Kids The World's story without telling Henri's story. If he were with us today, I know he would pause, say thank you, and then ask us what we are doing to continue to support even more families here."

More than 40 alumni wish families traveled from all over the country to take part in the anniversary. They brought photos from their time at Give Kids The World, laughed together over shared moments eating ice cream and rode the wheelchair accessible carousel. Many reminisced about their own experiences with Henri Landwirth.

"I loved my time with Henri," shared John Goode, who had a wish trip to Give Kids The World in 1994. "He had a rough childhood, and I had a rough childhood. He understood that." After his wish trip, Goode and his family relocated to Central Florida and remained connected with Landwirth and Give Kids The World. "Henri was my friend and Give Kids The World became my second home," Goode added. Now 41, Goode lives in Crystal River, Florida, and proudly showed photos of his time with Henri and many experiences at Give Kids The World.

As part of the Founder's Day activities, together with Katy Gore, a wish child who stayed at Give Kids The World in 1989 and Oliver Auman, a wish child from 2023, Goode forever hung Henri's star in the Castle. The quiet and special moment was then lifted when Oliver invited everyone in attendance to join him for ice cream, a beloved tradition Henri loved to share with wish families. "Founder's Day weekend was filled with joy and gratitude. From the special drone show that flew high in the sky for all of our guests and wish families, to the one-on-one moments between volunteers and partners who remembered times with Henri, every corner of Give Kids The World was filled with light," Schumacher continued. "We are grateful to everyone who has been part of our story."

As part of Give Kids The World's 40th anniversary, the organization is inviting the community to learn more about its history, purpose and the mission. "There are so many ways to get involved. No action is too small," Schumacher said. "Follow us on social media, volunteer for a couple hours, read more about Henri on our website, donate to our "$40 for 40 Years" campaign. Every action has a ripple effect and will help us bring light, joy and memories to children and families dealing with a critical illness."

"We have a responsibility to honor Henri's legacy," Schumacher concluded. "Founder's Day weekend is more than just one event. We have the responsibility to honor the legacy of Henri and the lasting original intent of Give Kids The World. Our work is not done. This year we will welcome 7,000 families from every corner of the United States, and countries around the world. And we will welcome another 7,000 next year and even more the following year. We are here to serve families for as long as there is a need."

As part of its year-long 40th anniversary celebration, Give Kids The World will share unique stories and milestones from its history on its website and social channels, as well as host unique events and fundraisers including the upcoming Golf and Gala Weekend and annual Gingerbread Run 5k. To stay in touch with all that's new, follow Give Kids The World's social channels @gktwvillage and online at GKTW.org.

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About Give Kids the World Village
Give Kids The World Village is an -acre, nonprofit resort built exclusively to serve children with critical illnesses and their families. Children visiting Central Florida on their "wish trips," stay with their families at Give Kids The World's storybook Village for weeklong, dream vacations. Give Kids The World provides meals, transportation, nightly entertainment, and complimentary passes to Orlando's world-famous theme parks and other attractions. There is never any charge to visiting families, and no child is ever turned away. Since 1986, Give Kids The World Village has served more than children and families from all 50 states and countries. GKTW is four-star rated by Charity Navigator, with more than 93 cents of every dollar it spends going to program services.

For more information, contact the Give Kids The World Village public relations team.