The Dreamer - Spring 2022
You have planted the seeds of so many dreams - read on to see!
You’re a dreamer.
I know this because time and time again, you’ve dreamed of a better life—a happy and healthy life—for kids in Manitoba with life-threatening illnesses.
But you’re more than just a dreamer. You’re a doer. And through your incredible love and care, you’re making dreams come true for sick children and their families. And you’re doing it over and over again.
Your love, care and compassion are magical. And I’m beyond grateful that you’ve decided to direct the power of your love through The Dream Factory. Thank you for dreaming. Thank you for doing. Thank you for being.
Your love and care—along with the love and care of other people like you in our Dream Community—have planted the seeds of so many dreams over the last few months.
Like raising more money during the holiday season than ever before to make dreams come true in 2022.
Like braving the cold and snow to make sure Rylyn—a 12-year-old with cancer in her blood and bone marrow—gets the Hawaiian vacation of her dreams.
Or, like sending birthday cards to all Dream Kids—both past and present. Such a simple gesture… but one that reminds sick kids and their families that there’s a caring community behind them, cheering them on. That they’re not going through the fight of their lives alone.
These seeds have been carefully tended and now—this Spring—they’re ready to bloom! You can read more about the impacts of your love in the spring edition of The Dreamer, below. Because we’d really like you to meet Jack.
At 16-years-old, Jack is a typical teenager: he’s figuring out who he is, what he likes and who he wants to be. He’s making friends that will last a lifetime. He’s putting off homework and reading many, many books.
But there’s one thing that sets Jack apart from his peers: a rare genetic disorder that targets his connective tissue: his skin, his joints and the walls of his blood vessels. Jack’s body isn’t as strong as yours or mine. Even going for a walk around the block can be incredibly tiring and painful.
But this past summer… Jack climbed a mountain. A ski run in Vancouver, to be exact. His mom couldn’t believe her eyes. His body shouldn’t be able to do that! But it did. Jack did. And now, with your help, he’s dreaming of doing it again.
Jack’s dream is to go to Newfoundland so he can visit the Viking settlements and Grose Morne National Park. He’s already climbed a mountain on one coast… now, he wants to climb one on the other.
Your loving gift today—of whatever amount feels right for you—will help make Jack’s dream of visiting Newfoundland come true. But your gift will do more than that. It will encourage Jack to keep dreaming big. Like mountaintop big. This is the impact you can have when you reach out in love to a kid struggling with a life-threatening illness. A kid who has been told there are so many things they can’t do.
When your love steps in, you’re giving them something they can do. Not only that… you’re giving them a dream come true.
Thank you for making the impossible possible for kids like Jack. To them, and to us, you’re full of magic.
Never too cold for your compassion
On Sunday, February 27, over 100 compassionate Manitobans like you braved the cold and snow to raise over $30,000 in support of 12-yearold
Rylyn at The Great Skate—an outdoor skating race on Winnipeg’s Nestaweya River Trail.
The event’s fundraising goal was $10,000. Which means you—our magical Dream Community—gave $20,000 more than they were hoping for. We are
so grateful for your dedication to kids with life-threatening illnesses in Manitoba.
Your love came out in full force for Rylyn. At the start of the pandemic, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia—cancer of the blood and
bone marrow. When she was in the hospital, she participated in music therapy to calm her nerves. She took an immediate liking to the ukulele… which is
why her Dream is to visit Hawaii, play an authentic Hawaiian ukulele and go ziplining through the jungle!
Rylyn is an avid hockey player—she fights hard on the ice and off. She’s a member of the Northeast U13 AA Predators, and her teammates decided to step up and fight for her, too. They dreamed of raising $3,000. But after receiving gifts from their hockey community, including other teams in the league—even teams they didn’t play against—they upped their goal to $15,000. And guess what? They beat it.
Because of the generosity of Rylyn’s hockey community, Great Skaters, and some very special people in our Dream Community—people just like you—Rylyn’s Dream will come true! *As soon as it’s safe for her and her family to travel again. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when our Dream Community comes together. Thank you for stepping up for sick kids when they need you the most!
This holiday season, the greatest gift of all… was you!
Last December, we tried something new. We introduced The Dream Book—our very first holiday giving guide. Thanks to compassionate people like you, it was a HUGE success… I’m thrilled to tell you that during the holiday season, generous Manitobans like you raised over $115,000 to make the Dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses come true.
Dreams like an ultimate bedroom makeover, including new toys and cozy bedding. Or, dreams like a fabulous vacation—complete with first airplane rides and family passes to a theme park... And so many more!
What an incredible gift you’ve given. It takes a village to make a Dream come true. We’re so happy that you’re a part of ours.
In the big moments & the small… you are there!
Because of your love, Dream Kids like Karsen and Sara get a very special surprise on their birthday: a birthday card and a sweet treat from Cinnaholic Winnipeg! Last December, we tried something new. We introduced The Dream Book—our very first holiday giving guide. Thanks to compassionate people like you, it was a HUGE success.. I’m thrilled to tell you that during the holiday season, generous Manitobans like you raised over $115,000 to make the Dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses come true.
Dreams like an ultimate bedroom makeover, including new toys and cozy bedding. Or, dreams like a fabulous vacation—complete with first airplane rides and family passes to a theme park... And so many more! What an incredible gift you’ve given. It takes a village to make a Dream come true. We’re so happy that you’re a part of ours. This holiday season, the greatest gift of all… was you! A BIG thank you to our friends at Bonafide Construction Solutions for matching the first $30,000 of gifts made by generous people like you! And they’re not the only ones.
Thanks to the generosity of people just like you, we’re able to send out birthday cards and treats to ALL Dream Kids—past and present! This is just one example of how your love goes above and beyond for sick children and their families through our Beyond Dreams program… by being there in the big moments and the small.
In fact, a dream is just the beginning of our relationship with a Dream Kid like Karsen and his family. A big part of what we do is make sure that families feel supported before and after their dream experience. And it’s because of your generosity to our ‘Beyond Dreams’ program that we’re able to do just that!
Thank you for helping us make birthdays extra special for kids like Karsen and Sara!