Give Kids The World
Celebrating 25 Years of Creating the Happiness that Inspires Hope
It all began in 1986 with a little girl with a wish, and the desire of one man to make that wish come true. The little girl’s name was Amy, who was battling leukemia. Her one wish was to visit the theme parks in Orlando with her family. To facilitate her wish, the request of a complimentary hotel stay was made to Mr. Henri Landwirth of the Holiday Inn. Henri gladly obliged but sadly, the remainder of the travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; time simply ran out.
The unfulfilled wish inspired Henri to vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. He called the project “Give Kids The World,” because that is just what he intended to do—provide memorable, cost-free experiences to children like Amy that were battling a life-threatening illness.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Give Kids The World. To date, GKTW has been honored to fulfill the wishes of more than 107,000 special children, along with their families. Wish Children, and their families, experience a week of happiness, unconditional love and all the stuff dreams are made of, making memories to last a lifetime.
This May, the Village will unveil its Star Tower and Gallery of Hope—two new beautiful venues that honor both the tradition and dedication of all those involved in Give Kids The World:
- Star Tower – Upon arriving at the Village, each Wish Child is given a golden star where they write their name, make a wish and place in the Star Fairy’s wooden chest. Each night, the Star Fairy collects all the stars and places them in the Castle of Miracles where the children, and their families, can locate for years to come. The Castle is currently home to tens of thousands of stars. The Star Tower is an expansion of the Castle, a breathtaking tower that will allow this heartwarming tradition to continue for the next 20 years.
- Gallery of Hope – A special visitors center that celebrates and honors the generosity of the corporate partners and individuals who have helped make Give Kids The World grow.
As Give Kids The World reflects on all that they have been able to accomplish with the help of many generous individuals, corporations and partnering Wish Granting Organizations, the future shines brightly with hope and excitement.
Compass is proud to be partnering with GKTW in their $25 million campaign to construct new villas, create a new Town Hall, renovate the Gingerbread House and generate additional resources to be able to provide this experience of hope to more families.
About Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World (www.gktw.org), is a nonprofit organization that exists only to fulfill the wishes of all children with life-threatening illnesses and their families from around the world. They provide the opportunity for the children to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions, as well as the magic of Give Kids The World Village for as long as there is a need. To date, 100,000 children have had their dream come true at Give Kids The World.
