On February 22nd, the Bert’s Big Adventure staff and our twelve incredible new families were up before the sun buzzing with excitement! TODAY was the day!!
As part of the yearly tradition, the send-off party was full of excitement as The Bert Show unveiled multiple surprises to the families during their live broadcast at the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel.
Some surprises included – a once-in-a-lifetime chance to cook on woodfire alongside Top Chef, Kevin Gillepsie, at his gorgeous new restaurant, Nàdair – including a VIP meal for this beautiful family of 5 and a $500 gift card to Snake River Farms for our steak-lover Chance; a Daddy-Daughter Date Night for Eliora in VIP at Kidz Bop Live on October 6th – including a pre-show Dance Party and post-show Meet & Greet with the Kidz Bop Kids, an overnight stay at The Hotel at Avalon, a Fur Bus to and from the concert, $500 to spend at Avalon’s beautiful property on dining and shopping, and more thanks to Kidz Bop and our friends at Georgia Amusement & Music Operators Association; an incredible trip for Griffin, and his hero, his older brother, Tucker, to watch the Atlanta United FC play like never before thanks to Atlanta United and ThirdEye Creative Productions; and home accessibility renovations and a life-changing chair lift for Olive and her military mama, Heather, thanks to Zaxby’s.
Gas South surprised Incredible Ivy with the news that she would be attending The Eras Tour in Indianapolis in November! Ivy, her mom, Tina, and her big sister, Stormie, are off to have a fairytale evening grooving to Taylor Swift in style!
In addition, our amazing friends at Atrium Health Floyd and Georgia Highlands College, blew us away by gifting both Journee and her rockstar, mom, LaToya, with the gift of education! After hearing that LaToya’s dream to be a nurse was put on hold twice due to life circumstances, Atrium Health Floyd graciously awarded her with free tuition to Georgia Highlands College to fulfill her dream! In addition, they are covering the cost of nursing school, scrubs, textbooks and any materials needed for class and clinicals. However, that is not all! When they heard that Journee fantasizes about becoming a doctor when she grows up, Atrium Health Floyd in conjunction with Georgia Highlands College, created an account so Journee can take up to four years of prerequisites for medical school at Georgia Highlands College!
Following the party, Fur Bus shuttled the families to the airport, where they boarded a chartered flight courtesy of Endeavor Air to Walt Disney World. The kiddos were spoiled as Endeavor Air greeted us outside the airport, escorted us through security with cheers, personalized signs, and Disney Princesses and Stars Wars characters. They also turned the gate in to a total vibe with a dance party, decorated the cabin of the airplane in celebratory Disney decor, and served a delicious lunch mid-flight! Truly, it was like any other flight ever!
Upon arrival at the happiest place on earth, the families checked in to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for unpacking and much-needed rest before our first night in the parks.
We met back up to head out for a delicious dinner at Epcot’s Living Seas Salon where the kiddos were surprised by their besties – Mickey and Minnie! We shared Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomato Salad, Braised Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Cipollini Onions, Pan-seared Grouper with Miso Butter, and much more!
After dinner, we had a patio dessert party behind VIP ropes in France while enjoying an amazing fireworks display. What’s better than Double Dipped Mickey Bars and Chocolate Dirt Mousse Pots under the stars?!
We concluded a truly once-in-a-lifetime day with a private after-hours ride of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure! The kiddos felt as if they had been shrunk down to Chef Remy’s size for a 4D culinary adventure! IT. WAS. EPIC.
A HUGE thank you to so many of our amazing vendors and sponsors for making this day so special for everyone! Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel, Holland Musico at Balloonacy, Carter’s Charitable Foundation, Jumptastic, Zaxby’s, Cindy Powers, and many more!
And a special thank you to Endeavor Air for sponsoring our chartered flight to Walt Disney World! Endeavor Air went 36,000 feet and beyond to make this day memorable for our families!
Another huge thank you to our photographers, Amanda W. Coker, Cassandra Young Photography, Monarch Studio, and Sarah Esther Photography. Thank you to Aslyn Baringer Productions and Salt Run Creative for capturing these magical moments on video!
Follow along with the enchantment using the hashtag #BBA2024 or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
Remember, we couldn’t do all of this without YOU!
As we embark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey, we invite our supporters to join us. Your contribution, whether it’s $5 or more, can make a monumental difference in the lives of these deserving children with chronic and terminal illnesses. Every dollar you donate to Bert’s Big Adventure between now and February 29th will be matched dollar for dollar by Zaxby’s. It’s not just a donation; it’s a BOGO good karma opportunity. Please donate today.
Tomorrow – Magic Kingdom!
