December Blog: Goalie Training, Santa Brunches, and a Look Back at 2019!
It's hard to believe that December (and 2019!) has come and gone! We are so excited to start this next decade with even more dreams come true, but wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the fun we had in our last month of 2019.
Kylan's Goalie Dream Come True
Last month was a dream come true for Dream Kid Kylan when he hit the ice for practice with his hockey heroes, Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit, and the entire Winnipeg Jets team. Connor, Laurent, and the Jets were so great with Kylan, sharing pointers and tips, and giving him some extra practice in front of the net. We can't thank Josh Morrissey and our friends at the Winnipeg Jets enough for always going the extra mile to make dreams come true.
Pictured: Dream Kid Kylan was serious about learning to be a goalie - so we thought he should learn from some of the best!
We also wanted to give a little special attention to the VERY cool custom helmet we had made up for his big dream. It turned out amazing. Thanks to Uncle D's Airbrushing for creating such a beautiful piece.
Finally, thanks to Andy Kollar at the The Ice Lab, Spartan Sports, and North Stream Creations for being an important part of getting Kylan ready for hockey season and bringing his goalie dream to life!
VOAK x Josh Morrissey Ties Are A Hit!
In another bit of fun hockey news, we were so excited to be a part of a very special project with our friends at Voak and Dream Factory Ambassador, Josh Morrissey! The JM44 x Voak Sportswear tie was unveiled in December in Jets Gear stores across the city, with all proceeds supporting The Dream Factory $10,000 will be raised through the sale of the ties - enough for a dream come true!
The tie was a huge success and made for a really wonderful holiday gift - we couldn't be more thrilled to have been involved!
Thank to to the Order of the Blue Goose - Manitoba Pond!
We want to send a very special thank you out to our friends at the Honourable Order of the Blue Goose - Manitoba Pond for once again stopping by with an incredibly generous donation this holiday season. 💙
The Blue Goose Manitoba Pond have been tremendous supporters of The Dream Factory over the years, and are directly responsible for many dreams come true. We appreciate your support and friendship, and thank you for your generosity! It's because of gifts like this that we’re able to bring dreams to life.
Santa's BACK at the Fairmont Winnipeg!
We were so happy to be back together with our friends at Fairmont Winnipeg this holiday season for their very special SANTA BRUNCH events. It was an incredible menu complete with photos with Santa by donation to The Dream Factory.
Our thanks to Fairmont Winnipeg AND to Santa for two very fun brunches!
Looking Back at 2019
2019 has been SUCH a wonderful year at The Dream Factory - we wanted to take a few moments before 2020 arrives to think back on some of the amazing dreams come true from this past year, and the many fun ways our community raised funds to make them possible.
Every dream come true is only possible because of our incredible community of support - we could not be more grateful for everyone who helped bring a dream to life this past year. Check out our video to see what we were able to do thanks to your generosity!
thank you for helping us go beyond dreams in 2019!
We also want to thank our friends at the Shelley Shearer School of Dance who invited our Dream Kids out for a very fun day of dressing up, learning to dance, and even watching a few performances! They had an absolute blast and we are so appreciative that you thought of us for this very special day.
This was just one of many experiences made possible this year by our Beyond Dreams program. In addition to incredible trips and dream experiences, we are committed to creating more opportunities for fun, laughter, and special memories right here at home. To everyone who helped us go Beyond Dreams and create new memories this year, we are truly so appreciative!
One member of our community who has always gone the extra mile for The Dream Factory is Paul LaPolice. Since 2012, Paul has supported our organization as a donor, by hosting meet and greets and sideline experiences, and always helping create special Bombers memories for our Dream Kids. While Paul will be greatly missed by many of our Dream Kids as he starts his next chapter in Ottawa, he will always be an important member of our Dream Factory family!
Meet A Dream Maker: YOU!
Every month, we are going to recognize some of our incredible dream makers. These are members of our Dream Factory family who’s support is the reason dreams can come true for Manitoba Kids.
We want to take one last opportunity to thank YOU for helping us end 2019 on such a wonderful note. All month long we've been sharing a very touching story from Sara and Nathan's mom, Anita. This year - both Sara and Nathan had their dreams come true and we were so happy to make a difference for such a wonderful family.
Upon hearing their incredible story, many members of our community reached out to make holiday donations, ensuring even more dreams can come true in 2020. We cannot thank you enough for believing in the power of a dream come true, and helping us start the New Year in such a positive way. Thank you!