Aug03VillageNews

Many IAAPA members enjoy the hospitality of the Peabody Orlando hotel whenever the IAAPA Trade Show is held in Central Florida. In addition to being a home away from home for convention goers, the hotel plays another special role as a long-time supporter of Give Kids The World Village. This past June, the Peabody Orlando again hosted the GKTW Black & White Gala. It was the fifteenth year that the hotel staff helped GKTW produce the elegant evening event.
The 2003 event featured a five-course meal, live entertainment, and decorations with the theme “Mysteries of Venice.” The evening’s highlights also included an array of silent and live auction items, such as Tiffany jewelry, luxurious trips, and a Fiftieth Anniversary Edition Corvette. One of the most popular items was a “Cookies and Conversation” package that gave the winning bidder an opportunity to schedule a cookie-baking party at home with Wally Amos, the fun-loving father of the gourmet chocolate chip cookie and founder of Famous Amos Cookies.

Thanks to the contributions of the Peabody Orlando and many other benefactors, the Gala raised more than $500,000 for the GKTW Village. Among the 1,400 guests in attendance, the IAAPA community was very visible. Leaders from theme parks and attractions, as well as suppliers and manufacturers, joined in the big night. Even the mascot for this year’s event, a plush Cookie Monster toy, represented the involvement of IAAPA member Nancy Sales Company.

“The Gala is a wonderful opportunity to not only further awareness for GKTW Village, but to also celebrate our many generous sponsors, friends, and family of Give Kids The World,” says GKTW President Pamela Landwirth. “Due to their participation in such a worthwhile evening, we are able to better serve our special ‘wish children’ and their families from around the world.”

The next GKTW Black & White Gala is scheduled for May 8, 2004.

The Reason to Celebrate

The impact of GKTW and its partners is evident. A recent letter from a GKTW guest explains some of the benefits:

Earlier this year, Ericka and I arrived at Give Kids The World Village for a six-day visit. I am Ericka’s grandmother and have raised her since she was five months old. Upon arrival at the Village, we were greeted with smiles, love, and warmth. The staff and volunteers made us feel at home.

Ericka was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 1995. I’ve been the one to witness all the hospital stays, the ordeals she’s had to go through. I’ve seen so much pain and sadness in her face over the past seven years. It has been hard, as I am sure it has been for all the families that you see at the Give Kids The World. I hope they all witness on their children’s faces the same peace, excitement, and smiles that I saw on Ericka’s face during our visit.

The tranquility and warmth we felt inside GKTW made it possible for Ericka to relax. She was with children she could relate to. She was no different from the other children fighting for survival. She was free from the peer pressure she has to encounter at school. I saw smiles on the face of a 16-year-old where pain and sadness had been. I heard my granddaughter laugh and saw her become excited about life again.

Not only did Ericka’s wish become a reality, so did mine. You gave me back my beautiful granddaughter who wants to fight her cystic fibrosis again. I truly believe without this trip and a place of peace, away from the outside world and its pressures, she would still be in her state of depression, unwilling to battle her illness.

Thank you seems so insignificant considering the tremendous gift you have given us.

—Ericka’s Grandmother