The Story Behind 40 Years of Dreams
In 1986, a simple act of kindness sparked something extraordinary.
Rick Thomas was a BC Transit bus driver in Victoria when he got to know a young passenger named Bernadette and her single mother. Nearly every day, Rick would drive them to the hospital as six-year-old Bernadette received treatment for a critical medical condition.
"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"
When Rick got home that evening, he shared Bernadette’s wish with his partner. They talked about using their own savings to make the trip possible. Then another thought came to mind: What if they created a foundation so they could help more children like Bernadette?
That conversation became the beginning of the Help Fill A Dream Foundation.
Today, 40 years later, Help Fill A Dream has filled more than 4,000 Dreams for children and their families across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
When the time is right, a child who has been through so much can have their Dream fulfilled.
These Dreams are powerful. They might be a trip to a place a child never imagined they would be able to visit, or an experience they had long dreamed about but never believed could happen. Whether it’s Disneyland or Hawaii, meeting a Vancouver Canuck, or touring Google headquarters, every Dream is as unique as the child receiving it.
For parents, a Dream represents something many families take for granted: watching their children laugh, play together, and simply enjoy being kids. Moments that once seemed impossible during months, or even years, of medical treatments suddenly become possible again. Dreams help families reconnect, create lasting memories, and take a breath after holding it for so long. Dreams give childhood back.
As we celebrate this milestone year, there are many ways you can get involved and help make a difference. Become a sponsor, purchase a table at our 40th Anniversary Gala, make a donation to help fill more Dreams, or become a Dream Maker by volunteering, fundraising, sponsoring, leaving a legacy, or simply saving your Country Grocer receipts. The story is far from over. With your support, the next chapter will bring countless new Dreams to Island children and their families for generations to come.
What began with Bernadette’s wish has grown into an extended family of donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters who believe no family should face their journey alone.
On our 40th anniversary, we honour founder Rick Thomas and the simple act of kindness that started it all. We know he would be incredibly proud of the thousands of lives that have been touched by Help Fill A Dream.