Air Canada and Dreams Take Flight returned to
the sky last week for the first time since 2020 with a plane load of
children from Winnipeg to Florida to experience a
trip-of-a-lifetime.
Thanks to generous volunteers, Air Canada
employees and retirees, the support of the Air Canada Foundation
and work by the Dreams Take Flight organization, eight flights
will operate this year, making dreams come true for an estimated
1,000 children with an unforgettable day at a theme park in Florida
or California.
The flight from Winnipeg left in the early hours of the
morning and transported 110 kids to Orlando, accompanied by a crew
of Air Canada employee volunteers focused on creating the most
magical experience possible.
By donating their time,
pilots, flight attendants, maintenance engineers and numerous
other employees on the ground and behind the scenes offer children
facing mental, physical or social adversity the chance to take a
break from their everyday to make memories and see new
possibilities.
Seven additional flights from across Canada will depart from
Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and
Ottawa between April and November 2023.
“As a Foundation focused on the health
and well-being of children, it is a privilege to work alongside
Dreams Take Flight and Air Canada employees to help make this very
special experience a reality for these children, letting them be
kids for the day,” said Valerie Durand, Spokesperson for the Air Canada Foundation. “A heartfelt thank you to each and every
volunteer and supporter who helps makes this experience possible.”
Dreams Take Flight is a non-profit
primarily made up of current and retired Air Canada employees and
retirees who volunteer to make these flights a reality.
Over the
past 30 years, Air Canada, as exclusive carrier and now through
the Air Canada Foundation, has flown more than forty thousand children on Dreams Take Flight trips.
“These are children, who would likely never
be able to take this trip if it were not for our program and the
planes, would never get off the ground if it were not for our main
sponsors and donors, like the Air Canada Foundation,” said Bev
Watson, President of Dreams Take Flight Canada. “Volunteers from
Air Canada, family and friends, as well as the general public
spend countless hours to ensure everything is done in preparation
for each flight.”
The first Dreams Take Flight station was founded
in Toronto in 1989.
