What in the event you may wave a magic wand and conjure up the “Greatest Flight Ever”?
A flight the place everybody is worked up to see you and cheers upon your arrival. There’s a pink carpet, colourful balloon arches, loads of pleasant faces able to help, free and limitless snacks, dancing and face portray on the gate and even free sizzling meals on board.
However that’s just the start. What if that flight additionally launched water cannon salutes throughout takeoff and touchdown? Maybe there’s even a Broadway performer and revealed writer on board to entertain you with singing and a enjoyable ebook studying.
This isn’t a dream — it actually occurred April 12 on an American Airways flight leaving John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) with 26 Make-A-Want kids and their households on board. And the Greatest Flight Ever was just the start of their journey..
What’s the Greatest Flight Ever?
The Greatest Flight Ever is a philanthropic effort from The Factors Man, American Airways and Make-A-Want to create a magical, once-in-a-lifetime trip expertise for 26 children recognized with vital diseases and their households.
Utilizing journey as a power for good is among the most vital issues that TPG does, and one thing that TPG’s founder Brian Kelly holds close to to his coronary heart.
Kelly served because the “chief enjoyable attendant” on the Greatest Flight Ever, however TPG’s involvement with Make-A-Want goes again to 2017, when TPG hosted a frequent flyer mileage drive and helped Make-A-Want increase over 1 million miles.
That will sound like quite a bit, however 75% of Make-A-Want needs contain journey. That’s oftentimes the largest expense Make-A-Want covers for households, and people miles go a great distance in serving to grant children’ needs.
“It is an enormous expense for them, and it unlocks life-changing experiences for these children,” Kelly stated. “These journeys are sometimes the end result of years of remedy and sometimes their profitable restoration, so right this moment we now have a lot to have a good time.”
Because the partnership started, TPG’s involvement with Make-A-Want has solely grown. TPG has raised and donated lots of of hundreds of {dollars} to Make-A-Want, however Kelly knew we may do much more.
“Donating miles and elevating cash have been pure decisions for TPG, however we wished to take it to the following stage. We introduced the thought of chartering a whole flight of Make-A-Want children to our companions at American Airways, they usually have been on board from the very starting,” Kelly shared. “They knew it was a loopy concept, however they’re all about giving again and collectively, our groups discovered a approach to make it work, and the way in which all of it got here collectively is really unbelievable.”
A magical flight to Walt Disney World
For these 26 children and their households, the Greatest Flight Ever began with one of the best experience to the airport ever. The households arrived at JFK by automobile service and have been greeted with balloons and an unique check-in counter upon arrival.
After passing by means of safety and being escorted to a personal gate space, the youngsters have been welcomed in fashion with a pink carpet and a grasp of ceremonies saying their arrival.
In fact, the Greatest Flight Ever has to start out with one of the best gate social gathering ever. A DJ saved the music going, there have been Mickey-shaped waffles and fruit on the breakfast buffet, children have been getting their faces painted, and the celebratory vibes could not have been larger.
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WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY
When it was time to board the flight, the grasp of ceremonies referred to as every kid’s title and rows of individuals on either side of the boarding space cheered for every household as they boarded the airplane.
That is sufficient to get any journey off on the correct foot, however the social gathering did not finish there.
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WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY
As soon as on board, the households have been handled to a uncommon “water salute” the place the airplane taxied beneath sprays of water from firefighting automobiles on either side of the airplane.
As soon as the airplane safely reached its cruising altitude, the flight attendants handed out hamburger meals supplied by Pink Robin (additionally a Make-A-Want associate) and star-shaped lollipops (as a result of each trip ought to begin with a little bit sugar).
Then, the chief enjoyable attendant kicked off the inflight festivities by bringing Michael James Scott (it’s possible you’ll know him because the Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin” on Broadway) for a Disney-themed singalong. The youngsters even obtained microphones to make it a real karaoke expertise. Not surprisingly, most of the children shared that this was their favourite a part of the flight.
This included seven-year-old want child Jaziah, who loves all issues Disney however particularly “Toy Story,” and stated the singing was his favourite a part of the flight.
4-year-old Joshy and his ten-year-old cousin Jackson agreed. “My favourite half was when the Broadway singer confirmed up,” Jackson instructed TPG. Joshy shared that his favourite half was when Scott sang “the Genie tune,” and Joshy’s mother stated Scott’s rendition of “A Dream is a Want Your Coronary heart Makes,” soothed him to sleep like a lullaby.
The youngsters additionally obtained a duplicate of “Might I Be a Pilot?: Evie’s Journey to Turning into a Pilot,” by pilot and writer Lauren Settles, who led a read-along of her ebook with the youngsters.
Each Scott and Settles shared their expertise with these deserving children and bestowed some phrases of knowledge to ensure the youngsters know they, too, can comply with their hearts and make their goals come true.
Passengers cheered upon touchdown as they have been shocked with a second water cannon salute earlier than deplaning. Dozens of cheering Make-A-Want workers members and volunteers welcomed the youngsters to Orlando.
There’s actually no higher approach to describe it. It was the Greatest Flight Ever.
Now, those self same children and their households get to spend every week visiting Walt Disney World Resort and all of Orlando’s theme parks. They’re going to additionally keep on the magical Give Youngsters The World Village — a storybook-themed resort close to Orlando that gives cost-free holidays for youngsters with vital diseases and their households — fully freed from cost.
How Disney makes needs come true
This may occasionally have been the primary Greatest Flight Ever, however it’s removed from the primary time a child’s want to go to Walt Disney World has come true.
Since Disney launched its partnership with Make-A-Want in 1980, they’ve granted greater than 145,000 needs to children wanting to go to Disney parks, take a Disney cruise and produce other Disney experiences.
This 12 months, Disney will grant its 150,000th want by means of Make-A-Want, and that spectacular wish-granting skill comes largely from volunteer hours and beneficiant donations.
It prices about $6,000 to ship every household on their weeklong trip to Give Youngsters The World Village for his or her Make-A-Want Disney-themed holidays, and you’ll assist make their needs come true.
The youngsters who go to Give Youngsters The World Village love their keep there simply as a lot as they love visiting Orlando’s theme parks. When requested what they have been wanting ahead to most on this journey, Jaziah and his cousin Jordan enthusiastically exclaimed in unison that they could not wait to go to the pool at Give Youngsters the World Village. In fact, others, like Joshy and Jackson, are excited to go to Walt Disney World.
Assist Make-A-Want grant much more needs
Needs do come true, particularly for kiddos who want hope and smiles essentially the most.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t occur with out the assistance and help of those that wish to make a child’s world a bit brighter.
This explicit flight was a constitution donated by American Airways, which makes tens of millions of AAdvantage miles accessible for wish-granting every year, however Make-A-Want’s wants are even bigger than that. It takes nearly 3 billion airline miles and factors every year to meet the journey needs of kids battling vital sickness.
If you wish to make a distinction, that is the proper means to assist and be sure that Make-A-Want has the sources it must proceed to make goals come true.
Whether or not it is wanting ahead to swimming within the pool at Give Youngsters the World Village like Jaziah, or driving each single attraction at Disney World and singing together with a Broadway star on the Greatest Flight Ever like Joshy, these children and households who’ve persevered by means of vital diseases deserve all of the magic, hope and pleasure on this planet.
And for the following week, these 26 households may have all of that as their goals come true in Florida. And collectively, we will make sure the hope, love and laughter that come from having your needs come true is obtainable for the following children who’re battling their very own diseases and wish that exact same factor to assist get them by means of.
