January 2022: Lily's Valentine's Cards, The Great Skate, and a NEW way to get your coffee fix!
At The Dream Factory, we are looking ahead to a 2022 full of Dreams come true and a ton of fun throughout our community. In this month’s blog, Dream Kid Lily’s Valentine’s Cards are back, Harrison’s Coffee launched Canada’s first coffee vending machine which features our DREAM BIG coffee blend, and you’ll meet a new Dream Maker - Stephen Zettergren. We also update you on The Great Skate coming up next month (there’s still time to register)! Keep scrolling to read all about it!
Dream Kid Lily’s Valentine’s Day Cards Are Back
Last year, our friend (and Dream Kid) Lily teamed up with the fabulous folks Cranked Energy to create and sell beautiful Valentines Cards through her business Howe Bay Designs. Together, they raised $2,000 for The Dream Factory; and this year they are back at it with a beautiful new design!
This year’s “For The Love of Dreams” card is available now and 100% of proceeds raised will support The Dream Factory, helping make more Dreams come true for kids like Lily! Lily was a Dream Kid in 2018 while undergoing treatment for Leukemia.
You can purchase yours today by visiting the Cranked Energy website here.
Still Time to Register for The Great Skate
This year’s Great Skate is coming up on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at The Forks River Trail.
The Great Skate is an outdoor race and community fundraising event that began in 2016 to get Winnipeggers out on the River Trail to take advantage of winter and show off their skating prowess.
Since 2020, The Great Skate has been raising funds to support The Dream Factory, and make more dreams come true for Manitoba kids battling life threatening illnesses. In that time, skaters have raised nearly $20,000 to make Dreams come true; and we are hoping that this year will be the biggest skate yet!
Every year, the event has grown in popularity and we have seen our Great Skaters come out on days colder than -40C to participate. The Great Skate community is a hardy bunch, and has intentionally chosen the coldest weekend of the year to host their annual race. We will be dressing for the weather and lacing up, even on the coldest of days!
This year's Great Skate is in support of Dream Kid Rylyn. Rylyn is 12-years-old and is an avid hockey fan (and therefore, a fellow Great Skater!).
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rylyn was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia - a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Her treatment lasted 6 months, and included four cycles of intensive chemotherapy. At one point, she lost so much weight that she had to use a feeding tube to ensure she was receiving proper nourishment.
While undergoing treatment in the hospital, Rylyn had the opportunity to regularly participate in music therapy and took an immediate liking to the ukulele. When the current travel restrictions are lifted and it is safe to travel, Rylyn’s dream is to visit Hawaii, play an authentic Hawaiian ukulele, and go zip lining through the Hawaiian jungle. With your support, we will be able to make Rylyn's dream of visiting Hawaii (as soon as it's safe to do so, of course!) with her family a reality.
Please consider joining us for this year's Great Skate and raising funds to help make dreams come true for kids like Rylyn right here in our community fighting life-threatening illnesses.
Harrison’s Coffee New Vending Machine
Talk about a cool way to get your coffee fix!
Our friends at Harrion’s Coffee Co. launched the first ever coffee vending machine in Canada! Even better - it’s fully stocked with the DREAM BIG blend, in support of The Dream Factory!
The Dream Big blend is a signature blend whole bean coffee that is sure to be a dream come true!
Make sure to check it out next time you’re at Outlet Collection Winnipeg right across from Guest Services and beside the Food Court.
You can also purchase from any Harrison’s Coffee location. See a list of Harrions locations on their website here.
Meet a Dream Maker: Stephen Zettergren and The Zettergren Group
Thank you to our new friend Stephen Zettergren and The Zettergren Group for dropping off a wonderful donation from their 2021 Christmas Contest! We are so grateful you are part of our Dream Community!
Stephen says, “Giving back has always been important to me and a pillar in my values. But finding causes and charities that resonate really fuels my passion to give back. The Dream Factory has done a phenomenal job at delivering and highlighting their message and then reaching their goal of granting Children their dreams. Not only do they create life-changing memories for kids with grave illnesses but they're making the world a much better place. And that's something that I can fully support. I am very excited for more to come with Dream Factory. I can’t wait to make more children's dreams, a reality.”