Disney for Kids

Disney for Kids broadens the horizons and experiences of deserving at-risk children and teens in the Dorchester area by sending them on an all-expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, annually. Click here to donate! If you’ve been to Walt Disney World, especially as (or with) a child, then you probably remember the first moment you entered the park. You remember the magic that surrounded you, and the feeling that anything could happen. Imagine, for a moment, how the intensity of that moment would be magnified for a child who has never travelled beyond the city limits, a child who knows his family struggles to make rent - let alone go on vacation, a child who has worked hard all year for the ultimate reward - this trip to Walt Disney World. Disney for Kids offers this phenomenal opportunity to at-risk kids in the Dorchester area annually. The kids selected for the trip are leaders among their peers. In order to participate, they must work hard in school, have above average school attendance, volunteer regularly, and serve their community.

In 1992, 50 Dorchester kids visited Walt Disney World on the inaugural Disney for Kids trip. In 2010, the 19th Annual trip, 125 kids experienced the magic that can only be found at America's favorite theme park. Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester were selected to attend based on extracurricular participation, school attendance, school effort and performance, and leadership skills. For most students, the Disney trip is the first time they've traveled outside of Greater Boston, been on a plane, or stayed in a hotel. It is a dream come true that they remember forever, and it encourages them to dream new dreams. In 2011, the largest group ever will participate – 150 kids will experience the magic that 1,200 others have in the past 20 years.