Reach For A Dream Foundation

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Reach For A Dream Foundation, founded in 1988, is a non profit organisation helping kids with life threatening illnesses fulfil their dreams. For children who have been diagnosed as having a life-threatening illness, the magic of childhood may be lost in the emotional, physical and financial strain of dealing with their illness. Reach For A Dream tries to alleviate some of this strain (which often affects the whole family), by creating a different environment for the child – one that is not focused on her/ his illness. We would like our children to find their laughter again and therein find the strength to live beyond their illnesses.

Our vision is to grow the Foundation to enable us to continue giving hope to children fighting life-threatening illnesses through the fulfillment of their dreams and making our national projects available to as many of the children as we can.
We believe in the power of dreams. We encourage children to use their dreams to fight life-threatening illness and we seek as far as possible to make dreams come true.

Projects:
• Jabulani Kingdom: Laughter is the best medicine. This adage holds true in the hospitals where the wards are filled with laughter thanks to the Jabulani team. Each Jabulani entertainer´s aim is to bring a smile to the children’s faces, through a number of acts including tricycles, juggling, balloon sculptures, magic, face paint and, above all, silliness.
• Captain Courage: Captain Courage is an exclusive `boys only´ project filled with adventurous activities to reward these children for their bravery. Captain Courage offers many adventures, including zip lining; obstacle courses; horseback riding and interaction with wild animals.
• Queen For A Day: Queen for a day affords little girls an entry into a world of pampering, where focus is placed on making them feel beautiful and confident; something, often missing in a hospital environment. The day is filled with indulging every little girl´s dream of being a `princess´. They are treated to limousines, manicures, pedicures and make overs, with a professional photographer capturing the joy that fills every moment.
• Camp Sunshine: Camp Sunshine is a weekend away where the emphasis is placed on team work and building social skills. Children with similar medical challenges are drawn together in days of fun, spent outdoors where their illnesses are set aside. The children learn social skills in peer group settings which is an imperative step in their lives as their social interaction is often limited to interaction with doctors and their family only. The camp also nurtures confidence and problem solving skills, overcoming obstacles as part of a team.
• Family Focus: No family expects a child to be diagnosed with a life threatening illness, and once the diagnosis has been made the entire family´s reality changes. Families often become isolated, limiting their movements to the proposed treatment plan. Family Focus aims to alleviate these challenges by offering families a chance to rebuild their relationships and meet other families experiencing similar circumstances. The weekend is filled with activities, focusing on the entire family enjoying a day of fun, where illnesses are forgotten. Here relationships are built, friendships are formed and an escape from the hospital and its associated worries is achieved.

Campaigns:
• Slipper day: Slipper day is a simple and fun way to support Reach For A Dream. By merely buying a R10 wristband and wearing your slippers out of the house, you are supporting children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with life threatening illnesses.
• Dream Riders: The Dream Riders are dedicated cyclists who commit themselves to riding the Telkom 94.7 Cycle Challenge for Reach for a Dream. Each year a team of cyclists tackle the challenge with the thought of the Reach for a Dream children, fuelling their legs to keep pedalling.
• Aircraft Raffle: The Aircraft Raffle has been running since 1998 and has helped fulfill the dreams of thousands of children. The prize for the lucky winner each year has been an aircraft and a pilot´s license course, fulfilling their own dream while also helping to grant the children, their dreams.
• Show You Care Send A bear: We bring joy and comfort to hospitalised children by giving them beautiful, warm, cuddly teddy bears.

Julia Sotirianakos is the CEO of Reach For A Dream Foundation.

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