Last weekend was one to remember as the Foster Love – Together We Rise team reunited over 350 siblings separated in foster care at “the Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland! Disney Days started when founder Danny Mendoza shared his birthday with children in foster care and take them to Disneyland.
Disney Days 2018 took place in Anaheim, CA on the weekend of September 22nd and was made possible by our committed volunteers, donors, sponsor, and staff. We’d like to extend an extra special thank you to our sponsors:
–Ticket to Dream Foundation
–Cooley
–All the Feels
–Iron Mountain
–Capital Group
Siblings reunited with each other on the morning of each day and then shuttled off with other siblings for a magical day of riding attractions, meeting characters, eating churros, buying souvenirs and creating memories that last a lifetime.
“You have to keep in mind that a sibling might be the only constant that these children have had in their lives. That’s why events like these are so significant,” said Jenelle Cherek, a Foster Care Social Worker.
Volunteers and foster youth both enjoyed the heartwarming experience. “One of our 5-year-old girls was scared to go on every ride. Each time I told her she could hold my hand to help her feel brave. At the end of the day she no longer needed to hold my hand and came up to us with a huge smile and said, ‘I was so brave today!’” said April Millikan, a group volunteer.
Our Disney Day event was so magical that it was featured on several major news and media outlets including Good Morning America, People Magazine, and ABC News.
We could not have made this weekend happen without the generous support of our dedicated volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Foster Love – Together We Rise is so grateful for everyone who played a part in creating these special memories. We can’t wait to do it again next year!
-TWR Team
To learn more about our Disney Days program, feel free to visit https://www.togetherwerise.org/disney-days/
