mAAgic Flight 2013!!!

The Dream Factory is very excited with the recent announcement that we will be participating in mAAgic Flight again in 2013! This marks our fourth year involved in the program, which helps support organizations like us by making a memorable experience for children and their families with a vacation-style dream to Give Kids The World in Orlando, Florida.

mAAgic Flight is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity sponsored by American Airlines and The Something Magic Foundation, providing a week-long stay at the magical village at Give Kids The World, including nearby theme park attractions. For 2013, the families will be flown into the Orlando Airport from all over the country on Friday, Sept. 20, and not depart Give Kids The World until the following Thursday. There are a total of 40 children from six different organizations this year.

As for The Dream Factory, we’ve been selected to fill 11 of those slots from 10 different airports. Below is our specific breakdown:

 Nashville

Dallas Fort Worth

JFK (2 families)
LaGuardia

Kansas City

 Raleigh Durham

San Antonio

St. Louis

 Louisville

Tucson

Thanks to American Airlines, The Something Magic Foundation and Give Kids The World for making these dreams possible. Let the planning began!!! We want to make this the best mAAgic Flight experience to date!

Why I continued on

Cresting a hill at around the 23-mile mark in the Louisville Derby Marathon on April 27, my legs felt wobbly, my breathing was a little heavier than it was a few miles earlier and my entire body ached with each step onto the hard pavement below. I continued on.

I had survived the early miles – much flatter miles with what seemed like much prettier scenery. (It is strange how this happens, how your body has the ability to comprehend and appreciate its surroundings when you’re feeling energetic, but then this ability vanishes with fatigue.) I had run my loop inside Churchill Downs at around eight miles – I was even told afterward that glimpses of my stride were seen on our local television station running around the famed racehorse track. Later, at around the halfway point, I smiled going into and out of the hilly Iroquis Park. When I reached flatter ground again, I had settled back into a manageable pace that I was hoping was fast enough to get me to the finish line under my goal time of three hours but not so fast that I would crumble before I reached that 26.2-mile stopping point. I constantly checked my watch for feedback. And now, with just a 5K left – a distance I had raced so many times before – my mind was sure I was going to make it, though my legs told me otherwise. I continued on.

Rewind just two months and I was in one of the best shapes of my life. My race preparation was clicking just right and tune-up workouts and races indicated my fitness level was on my par with what I did before I ran my best marathon in 2010. But a knee injury almost exactly one month before race day changed all that. Instead, I had to take three weeks completely off from running and when I returned back, an easy run felt taxing and the race was less than 10 days away. I adjusted my goals but was still nervous heading into this one, not sure how my body would hold up in the later portions of the race. As I crested a big hill with 5K remaining, I found out. But I continued on.

With each step during that last three-mile stretch, my calves, quads and hamstrings seemed to pull loose from their bones. Even my arms felt the strain of the race. This is the point where your mind oftentimes drifts but also the point where you have to focus on something to get you to the end – for me, that focus was The Dream Factory. I thought about all the children I had been helping to grant dreams for during the past few months, the hardships they face on the daily basis, and I continued on. It didn’t give me any extra strength, didn’t allow me to dig deeper down and find some power I had in reserve – there was none – and it didn’t cease the pain from existing. The cramps were still there. But it allowed me to endure. This was nothing compared to what these children face, I thought, and continued on. By wearing The Dream Factory Marathon Team jersey, I was representing something much larger than a marathon in itself. It gave this race a little more meaning and provided me that extra incentive to keep putting one foot in front of the other until I crossed the finish line, which ended up being faster than my pre-race goal.

Now that the race was more than one week ago, I’ve had time to reflect on that last 5K – the real tough point in the race. My job has blessed me in so many areas of my life, put so many things into perspective, and on marathon day it blessed me even more. I know it’s on a smaller scale than those families I work with on a daily basis, but I was able to push on because I was representing The Dream Factory. And that – the logo and words written across my jersey, the ones I glanced out continuously in those final miles – is the reason I continued on.

Written by Tommie Kendall, The Dream Factory Director of Program Services. Thanks to all those runners who represented The Dream Factory in the Louisville Derby Marathon. If you’re interested in running for The Dream Factory Marathon contact Tommie at tommie.kendall@dreamfactoryinc.org or visit www.dreamfactoryinc.org/marathon/

Change is here!

The Dream Factory is happy to announce that our new website is in the final stages of completion and will be launched during the week of April 15-20. Thanks to Custom Web Choice – based in Louisville, KY, near our National Headquarters – for developing and maintaining the site at www.dreamfactoryinc.org. The new site is very user friendly and has the look we want to reflect our wonderful organization. Make sure to check back often! Also, support our Social Media outlets on this blog and at www.facebook.com/dreamfactoryhq and www.twitter.com/hqdreamfactory. Like/follow these accounts and “SHARE” them with all your friends. These are where you can find regular updates and all information pertaining to The Dream Factory. With these changes, among others, it’s a very exciting time to be a part of The Dream Factory! Please help spread the word!

Make a dream come true this holiday season!

As we celebrate this holiday season by reflecting all the good in our lives and generously giving to our loved ones and those in need, The Dream Factory is asking that you take a moment to think about “our” children. Please be a part of making a dream come true – to help bring a smile to the face of a child wanting, perhaps needing, to feel special as Christmas and the New Year approaches.

Giving a child a dream not only provides them with relief from their daily struggles and a meaningful experience with family and/or friends, it leaves all those involved with a lifetime of memories. “The Dream Factory sent all of us on an amazing trip,” a mother from our Central Missouri Chapter recently wrote. “Something comes up almost every day that reminds us of how much fun we had together and how blessed we are. Even years later, I still can’t find the words to express how grateful I am.”

To donate to The Dream Factory this holiday season – regardless of the amount – visit our national website at www.dreamfactoryinc.org and use our secure “Donate Now” option through Network for Good. These children and their families face a life of hardships but you have the opportunity to help, and what better time than now. Spread the word of The Dream Factory. Make a dream come true this holiday season!

Note from the Director of Program Services

Hello everyone! Hope you’re having a lovely and carefree day/week/month/year, and thanks for being a part of this wonderful organization called The Dream Factory. I wanted to take this opportunity to give an update on things I’ve been working on at our National Headquarters in Louisville and what we have planned in the coming weeks/months. The year 2013 will be here before we know it.

Following this year’s mAAgic Flight and our National Convention in Orlando – both of those were huge successes I want to add – I’ve been strategically planning ways to make dreams more cost efficient and developing my own system in planning dreams in an attempt to make my time at Nationals more efficient. I am also working on developing relationships with both companies and individuals that we can incorporate into these dreams. It’s been a fun experience. I will say that we had a busy month of October – mainly with Give Kids The World and Disney trips – but things are starting to slow down a bit. Besides a few more “Mickey Mouse” dreams, I’m also working on celebrity dreams like Taylor Swift, Tyler Perry, Brad Paisly and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

One thing I want to mention, and give thanks to, is Atlantis Resort. Nationals has recently worked out a deal where Atlantis sends us six complimentary trips each year for us to disperse out to our chapters as needed. I’ve already sent two families to Atlantis – free of charge! – and I’m working on two others at the moment. Atlantis has been awesome to us and I’m so excited to make more dreams come true through this partnership.

Also, as for an update on our website (we all know we need a new one!), the IT Committee is still looking at different options. After a conference call a few weeks back, we’re forming a list of things we need and want with this new site and then will determine which developer best fits those needs/wants. I have my fingers crossed that we’ll have our new website, ready to launch, in early 2013. I can’t wait!

Be sure to follow us, and encourage others, on Facebook and Twitter, and on this blog. We need to continue to get our word out! That’s www.facebookcom/dreamfactoryhq and www.twitter.comhqdreamfactory. I will be adding a YouTube Channel within the next month, where we can have a central place for all our videos.

One more thing I want to mention is our Dream Factory Marathon Team. Runners can choose any marathon or half-marathon this spring and raise money toward The Dream Factory. There are lots of benefits to doing this, on top of raising money for a great cause. If you’re interested, just send me an email at Tommie.kendall@dreamfactoryinc.org.

Well, I guess that’s it for now. From all of us at The Dream Factory, thank you for all you do!

-Tommie Kendall, Director of Program Services

Volunteer of the Year Award - Tim Bach

The Dream Factory is so proud and thankful for all of our volunteers who continue to make us one of the top wish-granting organizations in the world. At our annual convention in Orlando last month, we gave out our Volunteer of the Year Award. With The Dream Factory relying almost exclusively on the work from volunteers, the Volunteer of the Year is one of the top honors given annually. And this year, fittingly, it went to Tim Bach from the Central Missouri Chapter.

Searching for a charity to be a part of five years ago, Tim Bach watched a promotional video about The Dream Factory. Instantly, his wife Paula remembers, he was hooked. What a treasure that short video turned into for both Tim and The Dream Factory. Five years and countless dreams later, Tim Bach is now an integral part of The Dream Factory and was this year's recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

According to his wife, he was born to do this. “Tim is an organizer by DNA,” Paula says. “He is outgoing and friendly. He is caring. And he loves children. It’s pretty much a perfect fit.”

Tim is a dedicated volunteer whose commitment to making a difference in the lives of children in need has not gone unnoticed. The Dream Factory was pleased to present him with this award.

Rewind to 2007 and the eager Tim didn’t waste much time to get involved in the organization. He became the Central Missouri Chapter Vice President and later was a member on the National Board of Directors. This past year, he was elected Central Missouri’s President, became a mentor to new chapters, was appointed to the Executive Committee by Board President Janice Harris, and had a strong role in the recent Long-Range Planning Committee. He is an example of what volunteerism is all about so, not surprising, is presented with this award.

Paula says: “Tim does not do this to look good or be someone important. He just selflessly spends hours for one thing – the kids.”

mAAgic Flight!

We love mAAgic Flight! Did I say that loud enough? WE LOVE MAAGIC FLIGHT!!

The Dream Factory was proud to be a part of mAAgic Flight again this year. The excitement in Orlando was unreal, felt by the families we sent there and the volunteers who traveled to take part in the magical experience. The children arrived, one by one, at the Orlando Airport on Sept. 21 to a roaring crowd of Dream Factory supporters. The first child off the plane that day was little Emma from Syracuse – it just so happened that Emma was also the Syracuse Chapter’s first-ever dream fulfillment, adding to the excitement. And the final child to arrive, later that night, was Desire from St. Louis. Desire came off the terminal (facing all her screaming supporters), stopped her wheelchair and raised a fist in the air. What a way to end the day!

The children were then escorted to Give Kids The World in central Florida, possibly the most magical place in the world, where they stayed for seven days and got the opportunity to visit the amusement parks in the area. They were at GKTW until Sept. 27, and then they were flown back to their home cities spread across the United States. The Dream Factory was pleased to make 14 children’s dream come true.

mAAgic Flight is sponsored by The Something mAAgic Foundation, American Airlines and GKTW. This year, The Dream Factory and three other children’s wish-granting organizations took part. It is the annual marquee event for The Something mAAgic Foundation, offering children with life-threatening medical conditions a week-long “unforgettable” experience.

And that – an unforgettable experience – it was. It truly was awesome! Emma, Desire, and the 12 other children from The Dream Factory made memories that they can carry with them forever. These memories were much needed for the struggles these children face daily. And we at The Dream Factory were so happy to be a part of that.