Gotta Go Orlando
- Apr 15

Give Kids The World Village marks 5 Million Volunteer Hours with Super-Sized Celebration on April 20

Give Kids The World Village is an 89-acre, nonprofit "storybook" resort in Central Florida. Here, children with critical illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free vacations.

Up to 500 volunteers and wish families will gather at the Park of Dreams Pool at Give Kids The World Village on Saturday, April 20, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm to commemorate a remarkable milestone.

Volunteers have served 5 million hours and filled 1.6 million volunteer shifts at the Village, an 89-acre, whimsical nonprofit resort in Central Florida that provides children with critical illnesses and their families from around the world with magical week-long wish vacations at no cost.

Festivities will include larger-than-life games, live music, food trucks, visits by Village characters, a dunk tank, and other fun family activities designed to thank Give Kids The World volunteers for everything they do to create happiness and hope for wish families.

“Volunteers are the very heart of the Village,” says Give Kids The World President & CEO Pamela Landwirth. “Our goal is to spread joy, inspire hope, and create magical memories for our precious guests. We simply could not fulfill our mission without our amazing volunteers. We are grateful beyond words that they choose to share their time, talents and hearts with us. Our volunteers change the lives of our wish families, and in the process, their own lives are enriched.”

Every week, volunteers ranging from students and families to seniors, snowbirds, faith, community and corporate group members, and conference attendees fill up to 1,800 volunteer shifts to make wishes possible.

Volunteers contribute an average of 229,000 volunteer hours each year serving meals; operating the accessible rides and attractions; hosting parties and celebrations; assisting with daily gift-giving; supporting the character program; delivering pizza; scooping ice cream; and countless other roles and responsibilities that are integral to creating unforgettable, all-inclusive wish vacations.

In addition to donating their time, talent and passion, volunteers save the Village nearly $7.3 million annually in operating expenses – making a tremendous financial impact on the Village and its ability to fulfill growing numbers of wishes while maintaining its strong fiscal responsibility, with 92.7 cents of every dollar going directly to programs and services for wish families.

Give Kids The World Village is located at 210 S. Bass Road in Kissimmee, FL 34746.

To learn more about volunteering, visit www.gktw.org/volunteer/. To make a donation, visit www.gktw.org/donate/.

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