Eighteen years have passed since Craig Skauge first stepped onto Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland as a participant in the inaugural Dreams Take Flight.
But when he returned on Wednesday as a volunteer with the group, the emotions from that first trip came flooding back.
“I felt pure joy,” said 30-year-old Skauge.
“Just seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and how excited they were brought me back to when I was a kid and how neat it was to be here with a group of other kids. Even though we didn’t know each other, it was just such an exciting thing for all of us.”
Skauge was one of the volunteers, crew and sponsors who escorted the 138 kids for the 21st flight taken by the Calgary chapter over the past 19 years. Air Canada supplies the Boeing 767 aircraft and employees donate their time to operate the flights.
In 1993, Skauge was undergoing treatment for a brain tumour. A nurse on his unit at the Alberta Children’s Hospital submitted his name and on Oct. 16, 1993, Skauge and 49 other kids from Calgary made the trip to Anaheim for the day.
“There was so much bad stuff going on at the time with the doctors and hospitals,” said Skauge, who added the trip gave him a light at the end of the tunnel. “It was something to focus on other than the bad things that were going on at the time.”
Having once been in their shoes, Skauge said it gives him special insight into the kids and what they are feeling.
“I was just like them at one time,” he said.
“When you are a kid and you are sick, there is a tendency to focus on all the bad things that are happening and that could happen,” said Skauge.
“There are so many tests and medications and Dreams gave me something to focus on. It was something really positive to look forward to. To this day, it was one of the best days of my life.”
The charity has gone on to impact him throughout his life. Dreams Take Flight was the first charity he had any experience with. Skauge said his experience showed him that people care and that people will help perfect strangers out of the goodness of their hearts and that has inspired him to do that himself.
He added that he hopes that the kids will come full circle like he has from being a participant to volunteering when they grow up.
“If at some point in time if they get into a position where they can give back, I think they should because everybody would be just a little better off.”
Mayor Naheed Nenshi joined this year’s flight as a special guest.
“It’s the first-year anniversary (of the mayor’s election)and I thought what better way to celebrate it than to take the day off and do some volunteering with some kids from Calgary, so I am just thrilled to be doing this,” said Nenshi. “It’s wonderful that they are going to get this incredible experience today.”
“I am so happy to do it. The kids are so thrilled (to be here),” added Nenshi. “I thought it would be a day off with some kids, but it has actually been very touching to understand the lives of these Calgarians.
“This charity looks after kids from every spectrum. Kids who are chronically ill, kids who terminally ill, kids who have physical diseases or intellectual disabilities or who have social issues,” Nenshi said, adding it is nice that the day allows participants just to be kids for a day.
Nenshi’s participation marked the first time a serving mayor of Calgary has made the trip with the group.
Dreams Take Flight sends children aged seven to 12 who have special needs, including terminal or chronic illnesses, as well as children who have mental, physical, social or emotional challenges to Disneyland for a one-day trip. A total of 25 different sponsoring agencies are represented with the participants.
Prior to the departure early Wednesday morning, Dreams Take Flight made a donation of $90,000 to the Calgary Handi-bus Association to purchase a new vehicle. Due to successful fundraising over the years by the charity, Dreams Take Flight officials said they wanted to give back to the community with the purchase of a bus.
Story from : http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Dreams+Take+Flight+volunteer+gives+back+years+after+first+visit+Disneyland/5576579/story.html
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