Help us fill all the squares this month!

The Dream Factory is pleased to announce we're now utilizing #GivingGrid and are looking to raise an additional $10,000 from this new platform to help grant more dreams during the month of November!

After all, November is the month for giving, so help us grant more dreams by supporting the cause. Claim a square for $10, $25, $50, $75, $100 or $500 and replace it with your picture. Help us fill all the squares this month!

 Click here to claim your square TODAY!!!

Iowa Chapter completes 1st dream!

We love opening new chapters to help increase the presence of the Dream Factory so we can grant more dreams. But what do we love equally as much? When that newly-established chapter grants its very first dream!

Our Iowa Chapter, with the assistance of the Lake of the Ozarks Chapter, recently sent Myles and his family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Orlando. Myles stayed a night in Chicago then traveled to the amazing Give Kids the World in Orlando for a seven-day stay at the village. While there, he also visited Cocoa Beach, Kennedy Space Center, Universal Studios, Epcot and Disney.

Check out a few of the pictures from the trip:

Natasha, the Iowa Chapter's area coordinator, said she is "officially addicted" to the Dream Factory! Congratulations and great job on your first dream.

Jewelry In Candles

We're super excited of the launch of our very-own Dream Factory candle! The special-design candle with a cherry blossom scent was available starting Oct. 6.

Every purchase of this candle or tart results in 20% going directly to the Dream Factory. It's Jewelry In Candle's very-first Give Back program, where they align themselves with a nonprofit. And with each purchase, you'll receive the candle or tart, a piece a jewelry, an exclusive Dream Factory pin and a note from the Dream Factory. Click here for more information. Make sure to watch the awesome video by clicking the Dream Factory Video on the link. A big thank you goes to Jewelry In Candles for all the support!

Update: As of the morning of Oct. 29, we are up to $9,086.56 in donations!

NATIONAL CONVENTION

The 2015 Dream Factory National Convention in Orlando was awesome! Thank you to all the chapters who were represented, so many of our wonderful volunteers who joined us for the three days, to the Holiday Inn Resort for being the host hotel, Give Kids the World village for allowing us the privilege to use their amazing facility for so many of our meetings, and to all of our supporters who helped make the weekend so special.

WE LOVE GIVE KIDS!

We've been granting dreams since 1980 and are looking forward to a great year in 2016!

Highlights from the weekend were welcoming families that were part of mAAgic Flight into Orlando on Friday and spending time with those same families at a party at the village on Saturday night. It's why we do what we do, and was great to be able to interact with Dream Factory families on their actual trip. All of our volunteers loved it! Another highlight from the weekend was the awards ceremony on Friday night.

Following are a list of our 2015 winners:

Outstanding Fundraising Event Raising Under $10,000

BaconFest - Northwest Missouri Chapter

Outstanding Fundraising Event Raising Over $10,000

Boulevard of Dreams - Kansas City Chapter

Most Unusual Dream

Christmas Horse - Memphis Chapter

Best In-Kind Dream

Wegmans - Rochester Chapter

Outstanding Special Project

Rocky Mount High School - North Carolina Chapter

Volunteer of the Year

Janet Ellis - Northwest Missouri Chapter

President's Award

Dalton Cyr - Dream Factory National Ambassador

Special Thanks Award

The Something mAAgic Foundation

Give Kids the World

Our mid-year March meetings will be held in Louisville and next year's National Convention will be hosted by our Lexington Chapter in September.

It's a big week for the Dream Factory!

September is a busy month for the Dream Factory, culminating with mAAgic Flight and our National Convention, both starting this Friday! It also marks a start to a new fiscal year. It's a "good" busy as it gives us the opportunity to look back on a great year, look ahead to granting many more dreams in the next one, welcome numerous families into Orlando as part of an always-exciting mAAgic Flight, and discuss ideas to strengthen our organization.

mAAgic Flight, the annual marquee event of the Something mAAgic Foundation, starts this Friday and lasts until the following Thursday. Children from wish-granting organizations all over the country converge to Give Kids the World in Orlando for seven days. The Dream Factory has 13 children participating this year: Liam and Madysen from our Pennsylvania Chapter, Justin, Taylor and Allison from our Central Illinois Chapter, Seaylee from our San Antonio Chapter, Gabriela and Maya from our Arizona Chapter, Bailey and Lazarus from our Rochester Chapter, Jonathan and Noah from our North Carolina Chapter, and Ashley from Los Angeles. We look forward to welcoming these dream children at the Orlando MCO Airport on Friday!

Meanwhile, the annual Dream Factory National Convention will be hosted in Orlando at the same time. The two-day event starts on Friday with a lengthy schedule of events, finishing with an Awards Ceremony that evening. Our Board Meeting is on Saturday.

Check out our dream children participating in mAAgic Flight this year:

Allison

Ashley

Bailey

Gabriela

Jonathan

Lazarus

Liam

Justin

Madysen

Maya

Noah

Seaylee

Taylor

#DreamFactory #mAAgicFlight #GKTW #GrantingDreams

National Convention in Orlando

The Dream Factory's 2015 National Convention will be in Orlando, Fla., in just two months! It'll be hosted at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista on Sept. 24-27.

Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista

Registration opens on Thursday, Sept. 24. The following day will be the Executive Committee meeting, dinner with a few of our dream families at the always-wonderful Give Kids The World village, culminating with our awards program. Part of Friday will also be spent at the Sunshine Foundation village and at the MCO airport, where we'll welcome Dream Factory families arriving as part of mAAgic Flight. Then, on Saturday, our Board of Directors meeting will start at 9 a.m., followed by meetings throughout the day, highlighted by a picnic and party at GKTW.

We're super excited for all of our volunteers to gather to share ideas and plan for the year ahead during a packed weekend of activities.

Give Kids The World

Sunshine Foundation

'Best day ever'

Those were the words from recent dream recipient John after he traveled to California from Portland, Maine June 22-27. Following the trip, John's mother reported that he had an awesome experience. John's highlights were:

1. Backstage tour of the studios and to see the many props used in a lot of his favorite shows thanks to the VIP passes.

2. Being able to walk to the front of the line ahead of everyone else. He felt like a real VIP at Universal Studios.

3. Flying! The last time John flew he was a small boy so he couldn't wait to fly.

4. A gorgeous room at the Millennium Biltmore and he loved the valet parking and his door being opened for him every time. "It's nice to be the rich boy," John said.

5. "Drooling" over the houses on Sunset Blvd, along with the many other streets.

6. Walking the Hollywood Walk, trying on hats and taking many pictures with the hands and footprints from celebrities with signatures.

7. Stopping by a cool antique car dealership.

8. Eating at some awesome restaurants.

9. Driving in CRAZY traffic.

10. Riding in a jet ski in the ocean WITH SHARKS for over two hours. The family did not know they could do such a thing!

"I thank you for ALL of this," John's mother said. "Thank you for the wonderful opportunity you gave my son and the wonderful memories we will have forever. Thank you Dream Factory for all that you do for the children and their dreams!"