The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Kansas recently notched an impressive milestone – its 500th wish. Number 500 involved a precious 10-year-old boy named Mark who wished to go to Walt Disney World®. Once he knew his wish was going to come true, he asked his mother every morning, “Are we going today?”

Mark’s big day eventually came and he – along with his parents and five brothers and sisters – boarded an American Airlines plane in Wichita. The family’s journey ended in Orlando, Florida – home of Walt Disney World.

While Mark had his sights set on Walt Disney World, he was immediately captivated by Give Kids The World (GKTW) – a 51-acre, nonprofit resort that provides accommodations, attraction tickets, and meals for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families that wish to visit the central Florida attractions. He was excited about the train, the ice cream parlor, and the carousel, and from then on, wanted to do those things first every day.

During Mark’s first morning at GKTW’s Kids’ Village, he met Goofy and Pluto at breakfast. Pluto introduced himself with a lick. From then on, Mark tried to lick all the Disney characters when introduced to them! He had a chance to interact with many of his favorite make-believe characters, including Barney, Bear in the Big Blue House, Mickey Mouse, and Belle with her shiny, gold costume. Mark saw Barney and Bear perform twice. During the first performance, he stared with his mouth wide open. The second time, he got through his initial amazement and clapped and yelled throughout the show.

While Walt Disney World was a source of much fun for Mark, his heart belonged to Give Kids The World. On the last day of his trip, he repeatedly asked to go back to Kids’ Village because Santa Claus was there that day. Finally, Mark returned, waited patiently, and got to meet Santa. He even talked with Mrs. Claus too!

The Kansas chapter orchestrated a trip that will stay with Mark and his family for a long time. On the way to number 500, the chapter gained momentum and is pushing toward a promising future.