The Dream Factory was founded nationally in 1980 by Charles Henault of Hopkinsville, Kentucky after he and his friends provided a trip to Disneyworld for a young girl dying of leukemia. It was to be the first of thousands of dreams to come true for chronically and seriously ill children in the United States. The Greater Kansas City Chapter of The Dream Factory was formed in January, 1985 with a $250 grant from the Optimist Club. Since then, hundreds of dreams have been granted to youngsters ages 3 to 18 - shopping sprees, dolls, trips to Disneyworld, tickets to concerts, computers, reunions with friends and families who have moved away, meetings with sports heroes and movie stars - special fantasies that allow these kids to dream again, to give them hope and to take their minds off their bitter day-to-day existence.
Annually, The Kansas City Dream Factory helps approximately 200 seriously or chronically ill children. The Greater Kansas City Dream Factory is a volunteer, non-profit organization. The Dream Factory volunteers say they get more than they give.
For information on The Dream Factory, e-mail: info@kcdreamfactory.org.