This feat was made possible through the collaboration of numerous volunteers, including Air Canada employees and retirees, the Air Canada Foundation, and the Dreams Take Flight organization. Throughout this year, eight flights will be conducted, bringing the magic of a day at a theme park in Florida or California to approximately 1,000 children.
Departing from Winnipeg in the early morning, the flight carried 110 children to Orlando, with a team of Air Canada employee volunteers dedicated to making the experience as enchanting as possible. By selflessly donating their time, pilots, flight attendants, maintenance engineers, and countless other employees on the ground and behind the scenes provide children facing mental, physical, or social challenges with a respite from their daily lives and an opportunity to create cherished memories and explore new horizons.
"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."
"A heartfelt thank you to each and every volunteer and supporter who helps makes this experience possible."
Dreams Take Flight, a non-profit organization largely composed of current and retired Air Canada employees volunteering their time, makes these flights possible. Over the past three decades, Air Canada, initially as the exclusive carrier and now via the Air Canada Foundation, has transported over forty thousand children on Dreams Take Flight excursions.
