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Funk Zone Fashion Show Seeks to Engage Youth with Charitable Work of Dream Foundation

Santa Barbara, CA—May 18, 2015—Dream Foundation—the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness—is partnering with cutting-edge local swimwear designer, Danielle Rocha of Rocha Swim, to host Summer Dream, a swimwear runway show event aimed at engaging young adults in the mission of Dream Foundation and raising funds to help make dreams come true.

Press are invited to attend the event:
Summer Dream Swimwear Runway Show
5-8 p.m., Thursday June 4th
Aperture Collection and Cabana Home
(120 Santa Barbara St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101)

One-hundred percent of proceeds raised will be earmarked to serve the dreams of applicants in their twenties.

“About 11% of our dream recipients are between the ages of 18 and 35,” says Kisa Heyer, Dream Foundation Executive Director. “Their dreams range from basic needs items like laptops and tablets to stay connected with family and friends, to the opportunity to meet a personal hero or experience a rite of passage such as a graduation or prom.”

Summer Dream will feature a runway show by Rocha Swim, as well as fashion from other local designers including CA Makes, Studio 399 Jewelry, Make Smith, Lisa Sands Design, and Chapala & Parker. On hand serving up burgers and bites will be the mobile Carl’s Jr. ® Star Diner. There will be live performances by Danny Winter and DJ IDEX, as well as a raffle, wine and beer.

According to event chair Arlene Montesano, “It is exciting to be working with a talented young designer like Danielle Rocha, who has channeled her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit into giving back to the community. This is going to be the first event of its kind for Dream Foundation and we are working hard to make it a great success.”

Tickets are a tax-deductible donation of $75 each, and may be purchased online now at www.dreamfoundation.org/summerdream.

Raffle tickets—for prizes including beauty and fitness packages, as well as a 3-night stay at the Four Seasons Punta Mita Resort in Mexico—are also available for purchase at the same link: $10 each or 6 for $50. Presence at event not required to win.

Summer Dream event sponsors include Blue Star Parking, Cabana Home, Carl’s Jr.®, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Don and Susan Kang, Jim Nigro, Eric and Nina Phillips, Walter Claudio Salon Spa, SpaceNK Apothecary.

Dream Foundation maintains a 4-star Charity Navigator rating (the highest rating) for sound fiscal responsibility and has never turned away a qualified dream request.

Dream Foundation’s 5th Annual Flower Empower Luncheon Will Raise Funds and Honor Dedicated Volunteers

Dream Foundation — the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness—will hold its 5th Annual Flower Empower Luncheon on Wednesday, May 13th. Net proceeds from the event are vital to supporting the volunteer-driven program.

“We are thrilled to share an afternoon with the community that has been instrumental to the program’s sustainability and growth throughout the past 19 years,” says Kisa Heyer, Dream Foundation Executive Director. “We are tremendously grateful to the businesses and individuals who generously donate their time, goods and services to make a difference in this community we cherish.”

The 5th Annual Flower Empower Luncheon will be held at an exclusive oceanfront meadow in Summerland, CA. The event will feature a luxurious outdoor setting complete with farm-to-table fare, exciting silent auction items, a raffle for a 7-day cruise, and wonderful surprises.

This year’s Flower Empower event will honor and recognize the following individuals:

  • Tim & Diane Brown, 2015 Flower Empower Sponsors
  • George & Lisa Hagerman, 2015 Flower Empower Sponsors
  • Lauren Nelson and Bill Bonds, Volunteers of the Year
  • Casey Slaught, Youth Volunteer of the Year
  • Jill Marie & Jean-Michael Carre, Chocolats du Cali Bressan owners, In-kind Donors of the Year

The Flower Empower program relies on dedicated volunteers who gather each week to deliver hope and compassion – in the form of fresh bouquets – to those in need. In addition to bouquets, flower recipients enjoy fresh-baked cookies, fine chocolates and cards handmade by school children. In 2014, Flower Empower delivered, on average, 150 bouquets each week to recipients from Goleta to Ventura.

“We are looking forward to acknowledging those that have been fundamental to Flower Empower’s success,” says Heyer. “This program simply would not be possible without their devotion and efforts.”

Also in attendance and serving as hosts, will be NewsChannel 3’s Shirin Rajaee and Alan Rose. Rajaee and Rose are long-time and dedicated supporters of Dream Foundation, its mission and its programs, including Flower Empower.

Tickets to this event can be purchased online through the Dream Foundation website for $95. Tickets are limited to 225 attendees and the event is expected to sell out, so the public is encourage to act fast to take part in this unique event. www.dreamfoundation.org/flower-empower-luncheon

Flower Empower receives no federal or state funding, relying solely on corporate and individual contributions and grants. Dream Foundation hopes to raise awareness and its impact with its 5th annual Flower Empower Luncheon.

Dream Foundation to Fulfill Dying McMinnville Woman’s Final Dream for Horse Drawn Carriage Ride on 98th Birthday

Dream Foundation – the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families suffering life-threatening illness – will fulfill hospice patient Gladys Hebenstreit’s birthday dream of riding through town in a horse drawn carriage.

Hebenstreit’s dream will take place at Hotel Oregon, 310 NE Evans St., McMinneville from 1-3 p.m., Sunday, April 19th, which will be her 98th birthday. Hebenstreit’s hospice caregivers and physician will be accompanying her on the carriage ride. Press is invited to attend.

Hebenstreit, who has a life expectancy of eight weeks, came on to hospice service in May 2014 with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Her husband passed away two months later.

According to Frances Kincaid, Hebenstreit’s Gentiva Hospice social worker, although “she really struggled with his death and continues to grieve her loss,” she decided that to celebrate her next birthday she’d want to do something special.

“Gladys wants to ride in a wagon pulled by white horses. She added that she wants to have all her caregivers, hospice team and her doctor ride with her. She even added that she should have a crown to wear,” Kincaid continues. “Gladys is a child of the Depression and doesn’t ask for much. I believe the main impetus for this dream—other than kicking up her heels one last time—is her desire to thank the team of people that have provided her care and become her friends.”

According to Dream Foundation Executive Director Kisa Heyer, “Some of our most poignant dreams are often our most simple. We are privileged to serve Gladys’ dream on her special day and look forward to celebrating alongside her.”

Hebenstreit and her friends will enjoy a birthday lunch at Hotel Oregon after the carriage ride.

Dream Foundation to Fulfill Dying Navarre Air Force Veteran’s Final Dream to go Skydiving

Dream Foundation – the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families suffering life-threatening illness – will fulfill Emerald Coast Hospice patient Richard Mase’s 50-year dream to go skydiving.

Mase’s dream is being served by Dream Foundation’s new sub-program, Dreams for Veterans, which will launch officially in Fall 2015. The mission of Dreams for Veterans is to give back to terminally ill veterans and their families through the fulfillment of a final dream.

Diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, Mase, a 54-year-old Navarre, Florida resident and U.S. Air Force veteran with a life expectancy of six months or less, will skydive for the first time at 9 a.m., Sunday, April 19 at Skydive Panama City. Press is invited to attend.

Skydive Panama City is located at:

16701 NW Agri Park Rd., Altha, FL 32421

Phone: (850) 674-5867

Mase served in the U.S. Air Force from 1979-1999. While in the military, he had always hoped for an opportunity to skydive, but it never happened.

In his application letter to Dream Foundation, he wrote, “As my time draws near, I would like to have one of my lifelong aspirations met. I don’t have to kick the bucket, just shake it a little.”

According to Dream Foundation Executive Director Kisa Heyer, “It is an honor for us to serve our country’s military veterans. Mr. Mase’s final dream is not just something he longed to do while serving our country, it has remained with him all the years since. It is our privilege to help him achieve something so meaningful in his final days.”

As Dream Foundation serves the final wishes of adults nationwide from one small office in California, the organization relies on the generosity of its corporate “Partners in Dreams” to keep up with the growing demand for dreams.

CKE Restaurants, Inc.—parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® brands—has been a longtime partner with Dream Foundation and pledges additional support to serve the final dreams of U.S. veterans as part of its annual Stars for Heroesfundraising campaign.

Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower Luncheon Will Raise Funds for Community Program that Delivers Hope and Compassion to Thousands of Local Residents

DF_FE_Logo_FinalDream Foundation — the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness—will hold its 5th Annual Flower Empower Luncheon on Wednesday, May 13th. Net proceeds from the event are vital to supporting the volunteer-driven program.

Flower Empower would not be possible without the compassion and energy of our volunteers,” says Kisa Heyer, Dream Foundation Executive Director. “We are tremendously grateful to the businesses and individuals who generously donate their time, goods and services to make a difference in this community we cherish.”

Flower Empower Facts:

  • Flower Empower delivers locally grown flowers, fresh-baked cookies, gourmet chocolates and cards made by young volunteers to anyone from Goleta to Ventura in need of cheer.
  • This year’s program sponsors are Santa Barbara residents, Tim & Diane Brown and George & Lisa Hagerman.
  • Two days a week, roughly 15 volunteers gather at designated locations to assemble bouquets with flowers donated by a dozen local growers and distributors.
  • Flower Empower referrals come from cancer centers, nurses, doctors, hospices, elder support organizations and the community at large.
  • Flower Empower recipients do not need to be suffering from a life-threatening illness, as the recipients of Dream Foundation’s primary Dream Granting Program do.
  • The program currently delivers to 29 facilities in addition to private residences.
  • In 2014, Flower Empower delivered, on average, 150 bouquets each week and since its inception, 20 year ago, tens of thousands.

While Flower Empower was designed to remind recipients that they are surrounded by a community that cares, it has evolved into much more. Cards handmade by elementary through high school aged children accompany every bouquet delivered. Through this card-making effort, Flower Empower imparts the importance of giving back to local school children. The program highlights the value of assisting others, which can be fundamental to building confidence and self-esteem among young children.

“There’s so much children can gain from volunteering and it’s never too early to get them involved with causes that are meaningful,” Heyer adds. “We are so grateful to the schools that participate in Flower Empower and are thrilled that our card-making activities can help teach children about the importance of giving back to the community, along with the intrinsic rewards that come with helping others.”

Flower Empower also plays an important role in employee engagement programs for local businesses. Creating bouquets with co-workers provides an opportunity to build relationships, deepen engagement, and inspire and energize a workforce.

“At Deckers, community outreach and volunteerism is a very big part of our company. For our employees, Flower Empower is an opportunity to put their creativity to use in a new way and to also spend some time getting to know each other better. After our last Flower Empower event, I delivered about 25 bouquets to several locations. It was so uplifting to see the smiling faces of the recipients and to know that this happened because my co-workers here at Deckers Brands care so much about our community,” says Barbara Allcock an employee of Deckers Brands who has been a Dream Foundation volunteer since 2006.

Flower Empower does more than deliver flowers.It teaches empathy, builds youth confidence, raises social awareness, and helps strengthen and build community. Flower Empower receives no federal or state funding, relying solely on corporate and individual contributions and grants.

Dream Foundation hopes to raise awareness and its impact with its 5th Annual Luncheon. Ticketing information for the 5th Annual Flower Empower Luncheon will be available soon. For sponsorship information, please contact Stefani Canin-Mullen at stefani@dreamfoundation.org. For more information about the program please visit www.dreamfoundation.org/flower-empower.

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