Keep Dreaming: The Dream Factory's 2020 Year In Review
2020 Year In Review
Here at The Dream Factory, our theme for 2020 was “Keep Dreaming”. In everything that we did, our ultimate goal was simply to keep kids dreaming BIG. It was our goal to remind our Dream Kids and families that there is a whole community behind them, and that they can still experience the magic of a dream come true, even when things feel a little bit scary.
There’s absolutely no doubt that last year was a challenging one. Postponed Dream Trips, cancelled fundraising events, and an inability to gather to celebrate treatment milestones or upcoming dreams meant that things looked a little bit different than usual at our Factory.
But that doesn’t mean we stopped dreaming. Thanks to our incredible community, we found ways to ensure our Dream Kids and families still felt supported during a scary time for their child that just got scarier; we “adapted”, “pivoted” and everything in-between to stay connected in new, safe ways; and most importantly we continued making dreams come true. We even managed to have a little bit of fun along the way!
We hope you’ll join us on a look back at just a few of our favourite moments of 2020, a reminder of just how important it is for us to all keep dreaming big!
January
2020 began with Destiny’s Dream Come True! Destiny loves SpongeBob, so much that her dream was to visit the Nickelodeon Resort in Punta Cana and stay in a villa that is absolutely one of a kind: SpongeBob's Pineapple! Destiny has been bravely battling Hodgkins Lymphoma, and she and her family were more than ready to make some really fun memories during her dream come true.
In January, they travelled to the Dominican Republic for an entire week of fun — with one of the coolest accommodations we’ve ever seen!
Pictured: Dream Kid Destiny and her family enjoying their Dream accommodations inside SpongeBob’s signature pineapple villa!
February
February brought an event brand-new to The Dream Factory, The Great Skate, an outdoor skating race at The Forks hosted by November Project Winnipeg. We could not believe the energy, enthusiasm, and SPEED that these Great Skaters brought to the event. We even had a few Dream Families come out to enjoy a skate!
What’s more, this incredible group more than doubled their fundraising goal, raising nearly $6000 to support The Dream Factory and make more dreams come true! Check out this wonderful video from Wildhouse Media for some footage from the day.
We also hosted a craft workshop with our friends at Made Here that invited Dream Kids and their families to use recycled materials to create their favourite animals!
If you haven’t hear of Made Here, it’s a shop (now online!) full of incredible local goods, and 10% of each and every sale supports The Dream Factory. It’s an absolute win-win for anyone looking to support local.
March
March launched the start of our Virtual Drop In Dream Parties. These virtual parties were designed to give our Dream Kids an opportunity to have a little bit of extra fun while at home and allow us to stay connected with our Dream Families.
From March to June, we are proud to have hosted more than 25 virtual parties including a truly incredible roster of guests: everyone from princesses and superheroes, to local celebrities and athletes, to friends from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Manitoba Theatre for Young People. We played games, read stories, learned about the solar system, wildlife, and marine biology, and even had a pet fashion show!
These Drop In Dream Parties were such a bright spot for us in 2020, and we absolutely loved being able to connect with so many of our Dream Kids and bring a smile to their face!
April
In April, the Virtual Parties continued - but with a very special guest in Dream Factory Ambassador Josh Morrissey! We were so thrilled when Josh hosted a virtual Q+A with our Dream Kids last month. The kids submitted some amazing questions (including "What is your favourite Pokemon?" - thanks Finley!) and had a wonderful time asking questions to and chatting with their hockey hero.
Our thanks once again to Josh Morrissey for all that he does for us here at The Dream Factory, and for taking the time to hang out with our kids and offer some words of support and encouragement. We appreciate all of the time and energy you put into creating special opportunities for our Dream Kids.
May
In May, we launched one more way to support families during the pandemic: our Keep Dreaming Campaign.
We were touched to receive so many thoughtful and generous donations, allowing us to create some really special moments for kids in our community! Because of your generosity, Emma received a thoughtful gift, Malcolm was all laughs at his family dinner, and many, many more kids were given a special reason to smile — all because of you! Thank you for helping to Keep Kids Dreaming.
June
June was home to a few special dreams come true - for Sophie and Ben!
Dream Kid Sophie was one of the kindest, cheeriest, and most mature 10-year-old you could ever meet; with so many talents, hobbies, and interests. After being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, we met her and her family early in 2020. Upon learning that travel would not be possible, Sophie dreamed of a backyard space reminiscent of a campground oasis — the perfect spot to have all of the outdoor summer adventures one could imagine.
In June, we were so pleased to bring that dream to life. Sophie’s backyard turned into a magical space for slime making, eating s’mores, watching movies on the projector, and having safe play dates with friends. Her mom shared that Sophie has been outside more in the week after her Dream than she had been the whole year.
Sadly, we lost Sophie this past fall. We feel so lucky to have met her and helped in our small way to make this past summer a special one for her and her family.
Dream Kid Ben is 15-years-old and loves martial arts. It was while practicing that he felt a pain in his leg that turned out to be a very rare type of cancerous tumour. After every treatment, he would retreat to his room to relax and recover — and that led to Ben’s dream of a total bedroom makeover.
Throughout June, our friends at Shortline Moving Solutions launched “Keep Dreams Moving” — a campaign to raise funds for Ben’s Dream. In addition to donating 5% of their sales for the month, they encouraged friends, families, and partners to get involved as well. It was a true team effort that resulted in a donation of over $10,000 to The Dream Factory. Because of that support, Ben’s dream came true this past summer and he is now enjoying a brand new bedroom space - and a new gaming set-up, of course.
July
In July, we unveiled Lincoln’s Lickety Split with our friends at the BDI and St-Leon Gardens. According to his dad, the first thing you need to know about 4-year-old Lincoln is that he’s a hard worker. You might even say he gets things done lickety split! Lincoln has Cystic fibrosis, but that doesn't stop him from helping out on the farm — feeding animals, slinging rocks, and taking care of his miniature horse, Hercules.
It’s Lincoln’s hard-working attitude that inspired this year’s signature dessert. It’s safe to say that the split was a hit, raising over $4000 to help bring Lincoln’s Dream of an R/V trip across Canada to life! Thanks again to our friends at BDI for being such a wonderful part of our Dream Factory family.
We also completed Emma’s Backyard Makeover in July. Emma has been battling seizures since she was 6 months old. She underwent brain surgery to disconnect two hemispheres to help with the 50-100 daily seizures she was experiencing. As a result of the surgery, Emma is visually impaired and has left side paralysis. More than anything, Emma's favourite thing is to play outside - that’s why her Dream Come True was to have a safe and fun dream backyard makeover.
Here’s what Emma’s mom had to say about the finished space:
“We just wanted you all to know that Emma is absolutely loving the backyard. She loves sitting on the swing, watching the fountain and looking at all the flowers and plants. The new deck is so safe for her now and the ramp has made it so much more accessible. Emma loves the butterflies and flowers along the path. The garden has attracted monarchs and it has been exciting to watch the caterpillars change to beautiful butterflies.
There are so many people who helped bring this Dream to life! Our thanks go out to Bonafide Carpentry Services Ltd., Rossmere Landscaping, MB Contracting, Electric 2000, Sierra Stone, Jerry’s Concrete, and HJS Wholesale for putting this magical oasis together this summer.
Pictured: Dream Kid Lincoln was all smiles when he got to taste test his very own signature dessert at the Bridge Drive In - Lincoln’s Lickety Split!
Pictured: Dream Kid Emma’s backyard makeover made her backyard space much safer (and more fun!) for her to play and spend time outdoors with her family.
August
On August 22nd, 22 Manitoba cyclists safely came together for the 2020 Dream Ride and achieved something incredible. These folks cycled either a 14km loop or a 42 km loop around Clear Lake, and raised funds for The Dream Factory leading up to the big day.
What is truly remarkable is that between these 22 cyclists, over $22,000 was raised for Dream Kids in Manitoba. Now more than ever, their effort and generosity will enable many more dreams to come true for kids battling life-threatening illnesses.
We have to send a huge special thanks out to our new friends Gary and Marsha, who safely planned and organized this wonderful event, and inspired some fantastic fundraising among their friends and peers. We also thank everyone who cycled in the Dream Ride, and those who supported their effort! Together, you have brought dreams to life and that is truly incredible.
September
COVID-19 has led to many Dream Kids adjusting their Dreams to things like bedroom makeovers, backyard makeovers, or other Dreams that can come true a little bit closer to home — and for Dream Kid Braeden, that meant more time out at the lake this past summer.
Thanks to incredible support from our donors, were SO excited to bring Braeden's Dream to life for him so he could have a little bit of extra fun out on the water with his very own Jet Ski!
September was also home to two golf tournaments in support of The Dream Factory: our Josh Morrissey Golf Classic, which despite looking a little different this year raised over $37,000 to make more dreams come true. We were also supported once again by our friends at the Steinbach Realtors, who raised $9000 from their tournament this year in support of Dream Kid Jasmine’s dream of visiting Paris once it’s safe to do so!
Finally, September was when we hosted a virtual version of one of our favourite events of the year: Deadlifts for Dreams! On September 20th, lifters from across Manitoba came together safely and virtually to celebrate an incredible year of fundraising for Deadlifts for Dreams. Together, our Deadlifts community raised over $30,000 to support Apollo and Logan's dreams come true — and we are truly so appreciative!
While we were not able to gather in the way we hoped, we had so much fun receiving video messages from our lifters throughout the day. Dream Kid Apollo even cheered on some of the lifters over video call! Check out the video below for a recap of our virtual meet so you can see how strong our Deadlifts community is - inside and out!
October
Throughout the month of October, our friends at Princess Auto ran an employee fundraising campaign with a series of safe and virtual fundraisers to help support Beckett’s dream come true. Beckett is a dynamic 11-year-old with Cystic Fibrosis who is dreaming BIG about snorkelling with the sharks and swimming at the Great Barrier Reef. The team at Princess Auto truly went above and beyond - raising $15,000 to ensure Beckett’s dream can come true once it’s safe to do so! To everyone who participated in this campaign and helped support Beckett’s dream — thank you! We are so grateful for your support.
October was also virtual party time, as the Pie Party @ Home was celebrated in homes across Winnipeg. Our friends at Good Buds Bakery created and donated signature “Dream Pies”, and all sales were matched by our friends at Exchange District Pharmacy. The Pie Party @ Home was completely sold out - meaning $5000 was raised to support another dream come true. We even had virtual entertainment from our friends at Heather’s Pretty Parties, Cary Tardi, and more! Thank you to everyone involved for making the Pie Party @ Home a sweet (and safe!) success!
November
We had two very special dreams come true in November!
Dream Kid Ben is currently fighting a chronic kidney disease and has an upcoming kidney transplant. Before that happens, we wanted to make Ben's 7th birthday a dream come true for him — and that meant LEGO! We put together the best birthday we possibly could for Ben and his family — including pizza, LEGO cakes and cookies, and of course - all of the LEGO sets you can imagine!
And then, Christmas came early for Dream Kid Mia! Mia is 4 years old and fighting neuroblastoma - a cancer of the nerve cells. Mia had a big surgery coming up in December, so her dream was to be able to have very special early holiday celebration at home with her family! Mia's "Christmas in November" Dream included seeing Santa and his elves through the window, and so many wonderful presents!
These dreams are just a few more examples of how we worked to recreate the magic of a dream come true right here at home for kids in our community fighting some tough battles!
November also saw the launch of the Dine Manitoba Restaurant Guide with our friends at the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association. If you are looking for a way to support our restaurants, help make a dream come true, and treat yourself to a great meal — this is it! The Dine MB Restaurant Guide is $20, with $5 from every guide supporting The Dream Factory and more dreams come true. The guide includes over $2000 in savings to over 45 incredible local restaurants — it’s not too late to get your copy today!
December
December was a BIG month at The Dream Factory - and it started right on December 1st, with our biggest event of the year: our first ever Virtual Auction. Because of your support, this event raised over $200,000 to support our Dream Families and make more dreams come true.
There are so many people to thank: Mr. Jim Gauthier and the Gauthier Automotive Group (our premier sponsor), Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel (Givergy Sponsor), Mark Morris (emcee) and JP Hoe (special musical guest); along with all of our prize donors, auction bidders, and volunteers who made the event possible.
Events like this depend on caring and selfless members of our community; and we are truly so grateful to receive that kindness and care from so many; at all levels. To our entire Dream Factory community, please know how much we appreciate you and the impact you have made for children and families fighting some incredibly difficult battles. You are all Dream Makers!
December didn’t slow down after the Virtual Auction! A few days later, we launched our Digital Dream Factory Tour on Instagram. Even though our doors may be closed to the public for now, this interactive tour is our way of showing you that our Factory is still busy! We share stories of our Dream Families, our Dream Makers, and what makes The Dream Factory such a special place. It’s a super fun way to take a “scroll” through out community and learn a little bit more about the magic behind making a dream come true!
This month also marked a milestone for The Dream Factory - our 800th Dream Kid! Dream Kid Ethan is 13 years old and has been bravely fighting a brain tumour. For his dream come true, Ethan was dreaming of a brand new bedroom with a few football-themed touches that he and his twin brother Julian could share and enjoy for years to come. Today, we're sharing a few of the photos of the incredible final product!
This project would not have been possible without the tremendous work of our super talented friend Zoe at Zoe Henry Designs who designed and executed this magical transformation. We also have to thank artist Pat Lazo (for the very cool football mural!), Buhle Painting, Dustin Brown, Jake's Fancy Stairs, and Xandra Photography for their involvement in this project.
We also had a number of incredible community initiatives taking place in December, including the WARRIOR Hot Chocolate with our friends at Park Line Coffee, along with matching donors Amber Van Den Broek Realtor, Bonafide Carpentry, Lehigh Cement, MJ Roofing and one anonymous donor.
Each WARRIOR Hot Chocolate sold supported Travis’s Dream bedroom makeover, and we couldn’t believe the response. Nearly 900 hot chocolates were sold, and over $14,000 was raised to ensure Travis’s dream can come true in 2021!
Finally, our friends at Black Market Provisions also helped us get into the holiday spirit with their LOCAL KIDS, LOCAL GIFTS initiative. Over $3000 was raised at their store to purchase local gifts and sweet treats for our Dream Kids this holiday season. Needless to say, our Dream Kids were all smiles when they received their generous gifts and thoughtful messages!
A Year In Review…
So while 2020 was a challenging year in many ways, our look back reminds us that there is still so much to be proud of. We brought 18 dreams to life safely here at home; we stayed connected with donors, volunteers, and community members who believe in the magic of a dream come true; we hosted many virtual events that brought smiles to the faces of Dream Kids and their families; and, most importantly, we kept kids dreaming big.
If have read this far, thank you. If you supported The Dream Factory in some way in 2020, through a donation, by volunteering your time, referring a Dream Kid, or simply spreading the word, please know how much your support means to us. It’s because of you that we are able to continue bringing Dreams to life for kids in our province fighting some incredibly difficult battles.
We are already looking forward to keeping you up to date with all of the dreams come true that 2021 is sure to bring; but in the meantime - remember to keep dreaming!
Video: We wanted to finish our Year In Review with a smile; and what better way than with some jokes from our Dream Kids! Check out this special video from our first-ever Virtual Auction!