May 2021: Dian's Dream Come True, Dinner's On Us, and Kayne's Story!
After a VERY busy April and a successful Dream Drive (read all about it here), we wanted to take an opportunity in May to share a few special Dream stories with you. In this month's blog, you'll meet Kayne - an energetic, fun-loving kid who is dreaming BIG despite living with a very challenging genetic disorder. We'll also share Dian's dream come true, one of the coolest meet and greets we've been able to do (and virtually, no less!).
We'll also share one way we tried to make this month a little bit easier for our Dream families by giving them the opportunity to enjoy a delicious, stress-free meal together.
All in all, May was another wonderful month here at The Dream Factory, and that's only possible because of our incredible community of support - folks like you! Everything that you'll read about in this month's blog is a direct result of your generosity. Thank you for making so many amazing stories possible, we appreciate you!
Meet Kayne
This month, we introduced our Dream Community to Dream Kid Kayne. Kayne is a happy, energetic, fun-loving kid. His smile lights up a room. Kayne is also a kid with a rare genetic disorder, Chronic Granulomatous Disease. Because of his disease, Kayne’s been taking medication since he was two weeks old. He doesn’t know life without it.
Kayne started showing the signs of his disease when he was only a year old. He was pale. His blood hemoglobin (red blood cell) levels dropped. And he got pneumonia – a really bad case. For the next two years, he was in and out of the hospital.
When it seemed like his condition had settled down, Kayne’s mom enrolled him in kindergarten. But he developed a massive chest infection. He went back into the hospital. He was released a month later but still needed care. This cycle has been going on for years. It’s been really tough on him and his mom. And now, Kayne deserves to see his dream come true.
So what’s his dream? He drew a picture of it for us, check it out! Kayne’s dreaming of his own backyard playset with a tunnel slide! He has always longed to play at the park, but it just isn't safe with his illness. Especially right now. With your support, his dream will allow him to have all the fun a little kid could want – while also staying safe from COVID-19.
Kayne's dream must come true, and we're asking our incredible Dream Community to help make it happen. If you are able, please consider supporting Kayne's Dream by clicking here to learn more.
Dream Kid Dian Meets His Hockey Hero
Last month, Dream Kid Dian's dream came true thanks to a surprise 'visitor' - the one and only Sidney Crosby! With COVID-19 travel restrictions and risks, Dian decided to change his dream to something closer to home. Unfortunately, that meant he would not be going to Pittsburgh to see a Penguins game and meet his hero, Sidney Crosby.
Luckily the pandemic was no match for the power of a dream come true and the generosity of YOU, our amazing Dream Community. Your kindness helped bring Dian's dream of dreams to life!
Sidney did not waste a second after getting off the ice before connecting virtually with Dian. He gave Dian a tour of the rink, introduced him to his teammates, and absolutely made his day.
The Penguins even sent Dian some very special souvenirs after the chat! Dian and his family were so touched by Sid's kindness and the generosity of the entire Penguin's organization, they sent Sidney a beautiful handcrafted beaded medallion - made just for him!
Thank you our amazing board member BJ Langdon for helping make this Dream possible, along with Eric Fehr, the Winnipeg Jets, Josh Morrissey, Sidney, and the entire Penguins team for helping bring Dian's dream to life!
For more of Dian's incredible story, check out this wonderful story via Lenard Monkman at CBC Indigenous
This Month, Dinner’s On Us!
This month, dinner was on us! We're thrilled to have been able to provide 40 of our incredible Dream Families with a special stress-free family dinner from a local restaurant. We know it's a particularly stressful time for many of our families, and this is just one small way we could lend our support and help to create some fun family memories.
This project was possible only because of our incredible community of support. These meals were directly supported through the funds raised as part of last winter's Dine MB Restaurant Guide with our friends at the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Community Safety Net and Pasquales Italian Ristorante.
This project was also supported by our friends at Manitoba Egg Farmers, one of our wonderful Community Event Partners for 2021. What's more - the wonderful team at Manitoba Egg Farmers wanted to make sure our families could also enjoy a delicious breakfast. Their team of staff and volunteers safely delivered 25 breakfast kits to our Dream Families so they could enjoy yet another meal together.
It's only because of community support like this that we are able to continue to support Dream Families during this challenging time. To everyone who lent their support to the Dine MB Restaurant Guide initiative, we appreciate you!
C Is For Cookie Campaign!
We have some delicious news to share! Our friends at Hillside Beach Store and Eatery have chosen us for their annual cookie fundraiser this year, and we are so grateful!
Here's what they have to say:
"For every cookie sold between the May long weekend and September long weekend, $.50 will help support The Dream Factory. Last year we were able to donate $300.00 towards the East Beaches Animal Services thanks to everyone who purchased cookies!"
Thank you Hillside Beach Store and Eatery! We are so grateful for your support and to have you as part of our Dream Factory family. Check out Hillside this summer to get your Dream Factory cookie!
Meet A Dream Maker: Chris Davis
This month, we want to recognize an incredible Dream Maker in our community - Chris Davis. Chris is a local business owner who has been supporting The Dream Factory for nearly 20 years - both individually and through his business, Bailiff Services Inc. Chris has been responsible for bringing countless dreams to life, and is always a tremendous supporter of our special events.
Most recently, Chris made an unexpected donation during the evening of Dream Drive Live, our celebration of April’s Dream Drive campaign! We are so lucky to have Chris as part of our Dream Factory community, and appreciate all that he does to bring dreams to life here in Manitoba. Thank you, Chris!
