40 Years of Dreams
This year, The Dream Factory celebrates its 40th year since it started making Dreams come true! The Dream Factory was founded in 1983 to make Dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses and was originally called The Rainbow Society. The first “Rainbow of Dreams” was granted to a Jamie, a 7-year-old boy who was undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. Jamie’s Dream came true when he met his hockey hero, Wayne Gretzky.
Since then, The Dream Factory has met over 900 Dream Kids, each with an incredible Dream of their own. Many Dream Kids also want to meet their hockey heroes - today, we have a great friend in our Winnipeg Jets Dream Ambassador, Josh Morrissey! Josh and the rest of the team have made Dreams come true for several Dream Kids in recent years.
Picture: Dream Kid Leontine meeting Wayne Gretzky in 1987.
Picture: Dream Kid Ava meeting Josh Morrissey in 2022.
One of the most popular Dreams is to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The magic of Disney attracts many Dream Kids and takes them to a fantastical place where they don’t have to think about the harshness of their illness. The joy that Dream Kids experience on their Dream Trips to Disney World leaves lasting memories made with their families that can be cherished forever.
Picture: Dream Kid Teri on her Disney Dream Trip.
Another Dream Kid who visited Disney World was Teri. In 1997, after 14 Years of treatment, Teri’s doctor referred her to The Dream Factory, and she let us know she wanted to experience the magic of Disney. She and her family were welcomed at Give Kids The World Village, which caters completely to children with life-threatening illnesses. Disney characters visited every meal, free activities on the village grounds, and their own Villa to stay in while Teri and her family explored the the surrounding theme parks: Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, and Busch Gardens. Teri and her family made memories that would last forever.
Teri passed away in 2001 at the age of 21, just four years after her Dream Trip. For those ten days in Florida, Teri could push the worries of her disease to the background and just revel in being a child in a magical place.
Teri’s parents now give back to the Dream Community as Dream Builders - monthly donors. Thanks to their kindness and Teri’s memory, more Dreams will come true for kids in Manitoba like Teri.
Over the years, we’ve seen many bedroom or backyard makeover Dreams. These incredible space remodels have given Dream Kids a place where they can feel safe to rest and relax after treatments and stressful appointments. In 2007, Dream Kid Eva’s bedroom got a beach-themed makeover so she could feel the relaxing ocean vibes from home every day. 14 years later, all-grown-up Eva’s son, Dream Kid Malachi also received a Dream come true! His bedroom was transformed into a super hero hideaway, complete with comic books, posters, and a super hero mural!
Picture: Dream Kid Eva first lays eyes on her new Dream Bedroom.
Picture: 14 years later, Dream Kid Malachi first lays eyes on his new Dream Bedroom.
In 2011, with the help of a past Dream Kid, The Rainbow Society rebranded and became The Dream Factory. In 1989, Dream Kid Kyle dreamed of swimming with dolphins. 20 years later, Kyle became joined our board of directors! Since then, Kyle has helped us become The Dream Factory and has sat on our board and committees to help make Dreams come true for other kids with life-threatening illnesses.
To this day, we’ve seen many unique Dreams come to life. The imaginations of our Dream Kids never stop inspiring us! In 2014, Dream Kid Allegra went on a Dream Safari in Africa! In 2017, Dream Kid Alejandra celebrated her 15th Birthday at her Dream Quinceañera. In 2019, Dream Kid Emilee met her hero, Billie Eilish!
Together, in 2022 we made a record-breaking 44 Dreams come true. We also met 42 new inspiring Dream Kids. With your help, we can continue to make Dreams come true in our 40th year. We still have work to do to make 2023 our biggest year yet! Thank you for helping us make Dreams come true.
Picture: Dream Kid James and his family having a magical time in Disney!