When we talk about Give Kids The World Village, you’ll hear a lot about ice cream, stars and a week full of fun. But none of that would be possible without a very special team: Village Vacation Planning Services (VVPS).

This department works directly with wish-granting organizations to help start the wish – and make sure every little detail is special for our families.

They gather important paperwork, coordinate theme park tickets, book rental cars and personalize the week for each family. So, when these families arrive at the Village, absolutely everything is taken care of – and for those battling a critical illness, this can mean the world.

“I love working with the foundations and organizations to make it all come together for the families,” said Sherry Campbell.

This group stays very busy, managing the information of hundreds of families each week and working with more than 220 wish-granting organizations across the globe!

“Every day is a little different, we never know what the day will look like when we arrive in the morning,” says Theresa Price. “But I love my job and I know we’re doing something special for these families.”

Roughly 10 to 14 days from a family’s arrival, one of our VVPS Itinerary Coordinators will give them a call. They answer any questions, help the family plan the perfect agenda, and organize any birthday or end-of-treatment surprises. They find any way they can to make a child’s trip even more special – whether it’s by setting up a princess makeover, arranging a meet-and-greet with a unicorn, or anything else a child could want!

And, when families are enjoying Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld, or any of the other exciting Central Florida attractions, it’s because of the hard work of our Compassion Partners, Jean Lowe and Cynthia Glitz. They have a very important role within VVPS: coordinating theme park and attraction tickets for our families!

“We get such sweet letters from the families,” said Jean. “They say things like ‘you have no idea what this meant to us,’ or they send photos showing they had a great time.”

Together with our wonderful wish-granting partners, our spirited and dedicated VVPS team makes magic happen every day – and we’re so thankful for their passion for making wishes come true.