GAWDA Gives Back 2013

http://youtu.be/a2O_1Kfcac8

Fourteen years ago, GAWDA started the GAWDA Gives Back program, in an effort to support local charities in the Annual Convention host city. Since its inception, GAWDA members have generously donated over one million dollars. In doing so, our members have made it possible to impact the lives of numerous people, proving that GAWDA has a reach far beyond itself.

President Craig A. Wood has selected two charities to be the recipients of donated funds to the 2013 GAWDA Gives Back Campaign. Both charities, Camp Boggy Creek and Give Kids the World, give children with life-threatening illnesses a chance to forget the doctors and medicine and remember what it’s like to be a kid again. More about these excellent charities is below.

Camp Boggy Creek is specifically designed for children with chronic or life threatening illnesses and allows them to safely enjoy the activities of a “traditional” camp. The Camp Boggy Creek experience is more than a fun-filled getaway. It helps children and their families to better cope with the day-to-day challenges they face in dealing with serious illness. The “main purpose of Camp Boggy Creek is to forget what you have.” Learn more at www.boggycreek.org.

Give Kids the World Village is a wish-fulfilling, fanciful, carefree retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their very deserving families. Give Kids the World Village is a 70-acre, nonprofit “storybook” resort located near Central Florida’s most beloved attractions. Children and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacations, complete with accommodations in the Village’s whimsical villas, transportation, donated attraction tickets, meals, and much more. At the Village, these precious children learn that dreams really do come true, as they and their families are immersed in joy, hope, and nonstop fun for a few unforgettably happy days—a most welcome escape from the weight of their challenging circumstances. Learn more at www.givekidstheworld.com.