KELOWNA–It’s an exciting day for 70 kids and volunteers from the Thompson-Okanagan.
The children, all with physical challenges, left for Disneyland Wednesday morning for a whilrwind day at the Magic Kingdom.
It’s an opportunity for the kids to forgo their usual routines of medical treatments and therapies, and just enjoy the moment.
“I really want to do Splash Mountain and the ‘Cars’ ride,” said nine-year-old Rylan Sundstrom from West Kelowna.
Rylan has Type 1 Diabetes. His 11-year-old sister Alyssa is also going on the trip. She has juvenile arthritis.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the princesses,” she said.
Wendy’s sponsored the trips for 20 years, but last year the new owner of the restaurant chain in the Okanagan cancelled the DreamLift day fundraiser.
That’s when Papa John’s Pizza stepped in, holding it’s Sunshine DreamLift day this past April.
The event raised 46 thousand dollars.
“This is exciting, this is what it’s all about,” said Jeff Lindquist, owner of Papa John’s Pizza in Kelowna and West Kelowna.
The trip is facilitated every year by the Sunshine Foundation of Canada.
“We are entirely self funded,” said Sunshine Foundation CEO Nancy Sutherland. “It’s all community and corporate based fundraising.”
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