Since 1986, nearly 4,000 families across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have had their lives touched by a Dream. What began as a simple act of compassion has grown into an extended family, one that continues to expand as Dream recipients and their families stay connected and remain part of the Help Fill A Dream community.

Celebrate With Us in 2026

This milestone year belongs to everyone who has been part of the Help Fill A Dream story: families, donors, volunteers, sponsors and community partners. We invite you to celebrate 40 years of Dreams with us throughout 2026 by joining our anniversary events, sharing in moments of joy, and helping us continue to make the impossible possible. With your support, the next chapter of Help Fill A Dream will be filled with hope, compassion, and countless new Dreams coming true.

Two new, very special events for 2026 Events

June 6 – A Night to Sparkle Art Auction, sip and support the kids and families of our Help Fill A Dream community

September 12 – 40th Anniversary Gala, a luxurious night of celebrating 40 years of Dreams

Watch for many more.

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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible families who took the time to share their inspiring stories on radio and TV. Your courage and openness have touched hearts and made a significant impact.

This achievement would not have been possible without the support of each and every one of you who filled up at the pump, bought cookies, made generous donations, or otherwise supported this event. Your dedication to making Dreams come true is something we’re really thankful for!

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What an incredible evening we had as friends, Dream families, members of the Thomas family, volunteers, donors, supporters, and community partners gathered at the David Foster Foundation Theatre at the Oak Bay beach Hotel to watch a very special screening of the Help Fill A Dream 35th Anniversary Documentary.

It was a wonderful way to bring Help Fill A Dream’s 35th year to a close. The documentary told just a few stories from the thousands that we have collected over the years. One thing that was very clear is the positive impact that we’ve had on so many children and their families. Family was a theme that ran throughout the evening and we are so grateful so many could join us. Needless to say, many tears were shed!

We were so pleased to welcome a number of past Dream recipients who assisted with the festivities:

• Nicole (Baja and Blue Whales Dream – 2012) played piano as guests mixed and mingled. She also played a few numbers in a spotlight session at the beginning of the formal part of the evening.
• Andrei (Animal Kingdom Dream – 2018) was co-host for the evening.
• Oliver (Family Assistance – 2018-2021) wowed the crowd with a couple of songs by Queen which was the perfect segue into;
• Sage’s “Queen in London” Dream reveal.
• Guests received a small thank you gift of artisanal body care products created especially for them by Elise (Walt Disney World dream – 2020) and her mom from Fetch! Farm

There were more highlights too as we had the opportunity to present, in-person:

• Outstanding Community Partner Award to the Young Builders Network;
• Volunteer of the Year Award to Jim Pullan;
• The inaugural Rick Thomas Memorial Scholarship to Maria Dennill.

An unplanned but delightful surprise was a generous donation made by Northridge Excavating Ltd. of $10,000 to the Rick Thomas Memorial Scholarship fund. This new initiative, started this year, will continue to honour Rick Thomas’ legacy through an annual award to a Dream child or family member to support further education.

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Special guests in attendance included four Dream families. It was a wonderful evening that was designed to celebrate and say thank you to our volunteers, donors, community partners and families in the Courtenay / Comox region. For an event that was not focused on fundraising, an incredible $5000 was raised through donations, a 50/50, a single item silent auction, and proceeds from ticket sales. Highlights from the evening included a surprise donation from Gateway Casinos for $1,000 and the winner of the 50/50 prize of $1075 donating it back to Help Fill A Dream. The Courtenay / Comox region has been consistently extremely generous in their support of our Dream families and it was great to reconnect.

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This profoundly human connection is at the heart of healthier individuals and stronger communities. During National Volunteer Week 2022, we celebrate the contributions of Canada’s millions of volunteers: their actions, their understanding, and their genuine concern for the world around them.

Volunteering, putting empathy into action, can build communities where people feel happier, healthier, and more welcome – creating a stronger, more connected Canada.

Thank you to our Help Fill A Dream volunteers who represent us every day with their Empathy In Action.

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When the Victoria Grizzlies faced off against The Coquitlam Express at the Q Centre on February 12th, we knew we were in for an amazing night of hockey and fundraising.

It felt incredible to be back at an in-person event and with a sell-out crowd (at the permitted half capacity) there was plenty of atmosphere and crowd support. The Victoria Grizzlies pulled out all the stops to make this night one to remember. Amazing play saw them win 6-2, and amazing sportsmanship saw the Coquitlam Express donate $50 per goal scored.

Thanks to:

• A donation from every ticket sold, plus VIP tickets;
• A $15,000 matching donation from the Hyatt Family Foundation;
• An online auction that raised over $9400;
• A blind-bid game worn jersey auction that raised almost $8000;
• The Grizzlies’ largest ever 50/50 with a take home prize of $1413;
• Merchandise sales;
• Chuck-a-Puck and Shoot-to-Win contests,

we raised a phenomenal $51,249! On top of all that fundraising and the on-ice action we also got to share our Help Fill A Dream story, introducing a team of Dream kids for a pizza shootout against the BC Transit “Deckers” and a very special Dream reveal for Xavi.

The evening was a success in every way possible. It was our first live event in over two years, and everyone worked hard to make it a fun and memorable evening. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Thank you to our generous sponsors

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We are so appreciative of the continued support we receive from our Island community. It’s thanks to our generous donors that we are able to provide support and Dreams to Vancouver Island kids whose lives have been turned upside down due to illness or injury.

In 2021 we applied for a grant from the Saanich Peninsula Community Foundation to help us with a quality of life project. So many of the usual activities and programs that our families participate in have been paused during the pandemic and we wanted to find a way to send some creative activities directly to kids’ homes. The McTavish Academy of Art on the Saanich Peninsula creates wonderful art kits: 3D models to paint and build, with all the needed materials packaged up in a neat box. Funds from our Community Foundation grant allowed us to deliver art kits to our Dream kids on the Saanich Peninsula three times last year. One of our volunteers – and Sidney resident – Jim, made the deliveries for us, checking in with families and seeing the smiles as they received their art boxes.

Thank you Jim for the deliveries, and thank you SPCF for your support in helping keep our Dream kids happy, healthy, and creative in these unprecedented times!

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We had support from Island radio stations the Q, the Zone and the Ocean as well as a live broadcast on CHEK News’ The Upside show! Several of our Help Fill A Dream families came out to wave signs, show support and share their stories – thank you to everyone who participated.

The biggest thanks has to go to the drivers though, who came out in bigger numbers than ever before to fill their tanks! We enjoyed seeing some “unusual” vehicles, and picking up a few cash donations throughout the day too. Customers were incentivized not just by filling Dreams by filling their tanks, but also with the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw for a Staycation prize package. Thank you to the Prestige Hotel in Sooke.

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Members of our team got to join in the fun, pre-recording some videos to show during the virtual event and hanging out with CHEK News and the Golf for Kids team on event day. We were delighted to have been able to share stories from some of our Dream recipients and their families, and show a wider audience how much impact a donation can make.

Don’t worry if you missed the Celebration Ceremony, you can still watch the whole video, below.

A special milestone for Help Fill A Dream

An extra-special highlight on the night was an opportunity for Craig to present Help Fill A Dream’s 3500th Dream live on air! 10 year old Shiloh was in attendance along with his parents and younger sister Alleyah. Help Fill A Dream first met the family when Shiloh was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  We have been providing support during the long months of trips back and forth to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. What Shiloh didn’t know was that he would be the recipient of the 3,500 Dream! Shiloh’s Dream is a trip to California and will include visits to Disneyland and Legoland. Craig presented Shiloh with a giant key to Disneyland, personalised with his name; he also presented some gifts from the team at Golf for Kids.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to make the 2021 Golf for Kids event so successful – we are so grateful every year to be involved and to receive such significant support. We’re keeping everything crossed that next year’s event will be in-person, and on the golf course!

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