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Celebrate 35 Years with Give Kids the World – News and Ice Cream!

8 March 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I love Give Kids the World Village and all that they stand for and do for critically ill children wanting to visit area theme parks. I’m definitely not alone in my love, as so many local and national companies have partnered with GKTW Village over the years to sponsor events, parts of the village, and more. As they begin celebrating 35 years of magic, Give Kids the World is undergoing an amazing refurbishment to bring even more to wish children and their families. GKTW recently invited us out to celebrate the opening of Henri’s Starlite Scoops, their refurbished ice cream shop for wish families, and to see some of the plans for the new and refurbished areas that will be coming soon at Give Kids the World.

The former Ice Cream Palace closed down to make way for this new shop, designed in cooperation with Walt Disney Imagineering and input from Universal Creative. This fully accessible ice cream shop features 28″ ice cream chests, so all children, even those in wheelchairs can see and choose their flavors. The topping bar is also accessible, while an open floor plan in the seating area allows for ease of wheelchair navigation.

Named after founder Henri Landwirth, the name also pays tribute to the Starlite Motel on Coco Beach, FL, which Henri managed when it served as the temporary home to the original Mercury 7 astronauts. There are nods to the original space program and the Starlite Motel sprinkled throughout.

Flavors include: Choco-Rocket (chocolate); Moon Cream (vanilla); Shooting Starberry
(strawberry); Moon Rock Crunch (cookies & cream); and Meteor Mint Chip. Sweet treats come in a dish,
cone, Popsicle, Fudgesicle or ice cream bar. Also featured are Milky Way Shakes, Galactic Splits and Celestial
Sundaes. Gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free options are also available. Scooping ice cream is one of the
most popular volunteer shifts at Give Kids The World. During a typical week, volunteers fill more than 70
shifts to ensure guests can enjoy ice cream all day long.

To see Henri’s Starlite Scoops and more of the upcoming refurbishments and updates, watch our vlog below:

We are very excited to see in person how valuable Give Kids the World donations are, and just what happens with the money or volunteer time people donate. If you would like to do more, we have created a Fundraising Team for Zannaland. We’d love you to join, and or donate or fundraise and ask those you know to help as well. We have done this a few times over the years with Gingerbread 5k’s, the Challenge for Hope, and Night of a Million Lights, so we’d love to support GKTW together with your help!

If you would like to join our Fundraising Team to either help raise money or donate directly to Give Kids the World – click here: https://give.gktw.org/zanna for the Zannaland Team Fundraising Page to donate or join the team. Thank you!

Help Give Kids the World with the Power of 10

8 January 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

Readers will know that Give Kids the World is an organization near and dear to my heart. My fellow Moms Panelists helped raise $7500 last year to deliver in person at our October reunion, and I shared some stories with you then.

Now the Power of 10 has been brought to my attention, organized by Disney fans in an effort to raise $1 million for Give Kids the World. Here is some more info below and instructions for how you can donate today and help children and family’s dreams have a little more pixie dust.

Help Give Kids the World-Where Happiness Inspires Hope

3 August 2010 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

When I first lived in Orlando, I remember driving around looking at neighborhoods and going down this street where I could see giant red-topped mushroom over a wall. Of course, I instantly thought of Walt Disney World and its whimsical architecture, but saw a sign saying “Give Kids the World“. I did some research and found out it was an organization that accommodated the wishes of chronically ill children and their families. I knew then it was a place I wanted to somehow help with.

Then, life happened…I moved away and back and away and had my own children. I have been given the gift of 3 healthy children and I understand even more, as a mom, just how valuable Give Kids the World is for children that need it.

For those unfamiliar with Give Kids the World, here is a bit more about them from their site:

A child with a life-threatening illness between the ages of 3 and 18, whose one wish is to visit any of Central Florida’s best loved attractions, may have their dream vacation come true by first being identified by a doctor as a child with a life-threatening illness. The child is then teamed up with one of over 250 partnering wish-granting organizations from
around the world, who then refer the eligible Wish Child and their family to GKTW Village. Once a Wish has been approved and recommended by the Wish Child’s local wish-granting organization, the Give Kids The World Wish includes:

Accommodations on-site in one of 140 villas

Donated tickets to all three major theme-park resorts (SeaWorld Orlando, Universal

Orlando and Walt Disney World)

Transportation

Meals in our Gingerbread House Restaurant and Katie’s Kitchen; and ice cream all day in

the Ice Cream Palace

Many other fun surprises

Everything is entirely cost-free to the family!