Associate Publisher Deborah Rogers Talks with Seaside Owner Sue Hodgson and Craig Smith, Executive Director of Help Fill A Dream Foundation, About Seaside’s Taking It To The Street Event
Congratulations! 2016 sees Seaside Magazine’s Third Annual Taking It To The Street Charity Event to raise funds for Help Fill a Dream Foundation; with an incredible $21,400 raised at the road hockey tournament this year, take us a back a few years and explain how the event came about.
It really was a chance meeting with a local father, Brian Losie, who is now such a great friend. He told me his story about how Help Fill A Dream came to the rescue for his daughter, and the rest, as they say, is history!
With so many deserving charities in our community, can you explain why Help Fill a Dream Foundation feels like the right one for Seaside to support?
There are so many causes these days but with kids of my own, I guess it felt relevant and meaningful at the time. Now, after three years of having met many families and children that we have helped, it resonates so well with me. I have made the right choice.
It’s quite an undertaking; how do you manage to organize an event of this scale while running Seaside?
To be honest, I’m not quite sure how we do it! I have to applaud my entire executive team for working with me on this event; I could not do it without them. Having said that, in my heart of hearts, this is something that I have to do. Yes, I run a very busy company with many moving parts, but at the end of the day, this means so much to me and for now we can afford the time and energy to put on such a great event and support the families in need.
When faced with a life-threatening or life-changing illness, many families will find their lives becoming very narrowly focused on healthcare. How does the Foundation’s idea of “dreams” fit into the reality of caring for a sick or dying child?
That is so true; being with their ill child during treatment and recovery is often the only focus for families at this time. For us, the concept of a Dream is much broader than simply an exotic trip or meeting a celebrity: these may be the Dream of the child, while for a parent, the Dream may simply be to be with their child while they are sick in the hospital or to provide them with whatever is necessary to make them comfortable when they come home. The definition of a Dream for us is to provide a family with exactly what they need in terms of support and assistance. We often meet families through our Family Assistance program, when a child is first diagnosed with their illness, and then we work with them later when they are ready to make that bigger Dream come true … when it is time to reconnect, relax and make new happy memories.
Over 2,200 children have had dreams fulfilled by the Foundation since it was started in 1986 by Rick Thomas. Can you tell us about some of the stories that have stayed with you?
Wow that is a difficult question as there are so many and all for different reasons!
One of the most significant for me was our pirate ship Dream, in which the community came together to help us construct a six-metre-long pirate ship in the backyard of an eight-year-old who had just finished his cancer treatment. It was complete with a seven-metre-high mast, a massive steering wheel, and cabin with fold-down bunks for sleep overs. For me, this young boy’s Dream became a focal point for the whole community and it represented hope. We had people volunteering for all aspects of this project. It shows how the impact of a Dream is far greater than just the Dream child and their family. The power of Dreams is transformative.
Recently we wanted to present a 12-year-old, who we had supplied with a pump for cortisol the year before through our Quality of Life program, with his Dream trip to Southern California. He told me that we had already made his Dream come true by allowing him to have his life and freedom back through the use of his pump. When I explained he was still eligible for a Dream, he then asked if we could instead give the money to the hospital. He has just returned from his Dream trip and shared with us that it was the best time ever. I was only able to convince him to go by explaining to him that he would be working for us while he was away. By sharing his pictures and the story of his trip, he was allowing us to create awareness and attract donors, which is what we need to do to make more Dreams come true for other children.
There are amazing tales of hope and recovery but the Foundation’s staff must also often have to deal with loss and sadness. What keeps you going?
Never underestimate the impact of a smile and a hug from a child who has just been given their Dream. Hold it in your memory and it is powerful enough to get you through the bad days. The wall in my office is covered with thank you notes and pictures of Dream trips. All I need to do is look at the wall and I am ready to go again.
It is wonderful that Help Fill a Dream Foundation is celebrating 30 years of providing hope, help and happiness for Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands’ children under the age of 19 with life-threatening conditions by fulfilling their dreams, improving their quality of life and assisting their families with care and financial support. Can you tell us about plans for the future, and how Seaside will play a part in them?
For Help Fill A Dream, we plan to keep doing what we do for at least another 30 years. We are always looking for new ways to add to our programming and to support Island families. We are proud to say that we have not had to turn down a request from any child or family who qualifies for our programming. We want this to remain true. It is only possible to do this with the support of generous individuals and community partners like Seaside Magazine.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the community, and will continue to work to make Seaside’s Taking It To The Street event a way to draw people together and raise more money each year for this important organization.
Photo by www.nuttycake.com.
