Every year, the Air Canada Foundation supports hundreds of charitable organizations dedicated to the health and wellness of children and youth such as Dreams Take Flight. This year, the Air Canada Foundation is delighted to celebrate with Dreams Take Flight Toronto — its 30th anniversary — as well as the 25th anniversary of the Montreal and Ottawa chapters. We are also pleased to recognize the Winnipeg and Halifax chapters who celebrated their 25th anniversaries in 2018, a milestone also reached by the Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver chapters in 2017.
In 1989, for the very first time, several Air Canada employees in Toronto planned a trip of a lifetime for 70 children facing medical, mental, physical, social or emotional challenges and flew them on a DC-9 aircraft to Walt Disney World in Florida. Over the years, hundreds of dedicated volunteers and donors have enabled Dreams Take Flight to cover the all-day-paid expenses, including spending money for souvenirs and gifts for the children.
“I want to thank the many volunteers who work relentlessly each and every year to ensure the flights across Canada take place. There is no greater reward than seeing the smiles of the children as they see and experience the wonders of the Disney. Many of the children, we have taken on our trips, are now coming back to help us make a difference in the lives of others. They know first hand what a difference it made in their lives. Of course, without our sponsors we couldn’t do what we do and want to thank them especially the Air Canada Foundation for helping us in making magical memories for special kids a reality” said Bev Watson, president of Dreams Take Flight Canada.
The Air Canada Foundation is proud to highlight these wonderful milestones. Air Canada has played an integral role in Dreams Take Flight, as the exclusive carrier, since its very first special trip. Today, with the support of generous sponsors, including Air Canada and the Air Canada Foundation, eight chapters continue to take over a thousand children each year from across Canada on an all-expense paid day to the most magical places on earth — Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California. Between 1989 and 2018, Dreams Take Flight has enabled more than 35,000 children to experience the trip of a lifetime and they are still going strong!
For more information, go to dreamstakeflight.ca, or visit aircanada.com/foundation for information on the Air Canada Foundation.
