Dreams Take Flight, Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation celebrated another successful year of magical journeys to theme parks in Florida and California. This year, more than a thousand children across Canada got to experience a day full of rides, magic and laughter.
A volunteer-driven programme
The Dreams Take Flight is a volunteer-driven programme that was created by a group of Air Canada employees to give a trip of a lifetime to Disney World or Disneyland for a day for children who have experience medical, mental, physical, or social challenges.
Founded in 1989, several Air Canada employees in Toronto planned a trip of a lifetime for 70 special needs children. According to the Dreams Take Flight website, they flew on a DC-9 aircraft to Walt Disney world in Florida. The trip changed the children’s lives.
By 1997, Dreams Take Flight had expanded across Canada with eight chapters: Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation provide each chapter with an aircraft, along with professional services and additional support, to ensure every trip is a success.
Denise Egglestone, President, Dreams Take Flight Canada has said:
“I am profoundly thankful for the Air Canada Foundation’s steadfast partnership. Their support enables our dedicated volunteers to deliver a day of magic for children who need it most – an experience that can open hearts, broaden horizons, and remind every child that they deserve to dream.”
The children chosen from different children’s charities and organisations are accompanied by, volunteers, current and retired Air Canada employees who provide a magical experience for those onboard.
More than a trip
“Dreams Take Flight is more than a trip; it’s a moment that inspires hope and courage. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our employees and retirees, children experience a day that lifts their spirits and reminds them that their dreams are worth believing in. It’s a day filled with laughter, wonder, and possibility, creating memories that stay with them long after the plane has landed. That is something we value deeply and are proud to support,” said Brigitte Saint-Pierre, Director, Official Languages and Community Engagement at Air Canada, on behalf of the Air Canada Foundation.
Since its first flight in 1989, over 35 years ago, more than 35,000 children have experienced a Dreams Take Flight trip of a lifetime, making their life’s a bit more magical.
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