Dreams Come True

Alana’s dream was to celebrate her love story with Mitch—a hybrid vow renewal and celebration of life marking their 5th wedding anniversary. Alana walked down the aisle again to her soulmate, the person who has been her rock and caregiver over the past four years, surrounded by their closest family and friends.

“Having this dream fulfilled was such a gift,” Alana shared. “This celebration was my chance to thank the amazing people in our lives for all of their encouragement and love and create memories that they can look back on when I’m no longer here. Saturday truly was a dream come true…it was a group coming together and celebrating life for all of its ups and downs and everything in between. Love conquers all, and Saturday was a testament to that.”

We were honored to play a small role in making this celebration as special as possible, supporting Alana’s dream with beautiful flowers, custom bracelets for guests, a live sketch artist to capture the moment, and a contribution toward catering.

This day was a celebration of love, life, and resilience—one that will be remembered by all who were there. Thank you, Alana, for sharing your story and reminding us all to cherish every moment.

Mike is very passionate about Canadian football. He played football in high school as a guard and center. Mike and his wife dreamed of attending a CFL game to see his favourite team, the Roughriders, on home turf in Saskatchewan.

Oneday Dreams provided the flights and hotel for Mike & his wife to attend the sold out game on labour day weekend. Special thanks to the @sskroughriders for donating free tickets and making the day extra special by presenting Mike with a signed a jersey that had his last name on it. Mike also got to stand on the sidelines as the team entered!

Mark loves being in Mountains. He’s always marveled at how he could be in one spot and take vistas offering calm waters, majestic peaks, glorious blue sky. This was a source of wonder and solitude..

Mark, his wife Grace, and their daughter Kayla  2 days at the Chateau Lake Louise Hotel, in Alberta. Being in the mountain setting with his family, brought fond memories of previous trips they’ve shared and given them the chance to meaningfully connect and take in the moments together as they had so many times prior to Mark’s diagnosis.

Thank you to Chateau Lake Louise for your generous hospitality.

David and his sister Theresa had a special bond, speaking with each other every day despite the distance between them. His dream was to reunite with her in person and share time together in Hamilton. Thanks to another incredible collaboration with Give A Mile, this dream became a reality! 

Not only did Theresa make the journey to Hamilton from Newfoundland, but David’s son and stepdaughter also travelled from Sault Ste. Marie to meet their aunt for the first time, turning this visit into an unforgettable family reunion.

Reflecting on the experience, Theresa shared: “This dream meant so much to David…to have his family and chosen family together to celebrate the love they all share for him. In his words, three wonderful dreams were fulfilled in one. You truly made David’s dream come true. Thank you so very much.”

Special thank you to Give A Mile for helping us make David’s dream come true!

Liz always had a love and strong connection with horses, so it was fitting that her dream was to be out in nature and ride a horse one more time. Liz, along with her good friend Carol, spent the day together riding horses and ended their day together with a nice dinner. Very special thank you to the staff of Blue Rein Ranch Counselling & Animal Assisted Therapy for the care and attention given to Liz in making her dream come true!

David’s dream was a short getaway to Toronto with his wife Rachel and their daughter Addisyn. Their fun-filled weekend included a visit to the CN Tower, the Ontario Science Centre, and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. As an added bonus, we also sent David and his family to see a Toronto Blue Jays’ game!

Rachel reached out to us and let us know that David’s trip was a wonderful time, and that the family loved every part of the dream, especially the aquarium and the CN Tower. She shared: “Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for making this all possible for us! We have made some amazing memories that we will never forget and could not have done it without your help!”

Special thanks to the CN Tower company, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, and the Ontario Science Centre for donating passes; Jays Care Foundation for the baseball tickets and signed jersey; and, the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel for a discounted hotel room!

It’s been Kat’s dream to ‘defy gravity’ since she saw the musical Wicked on The Tony Awards in 2004. Those around her, especially those that know her well, know how much Wicked has impacted her life over the years – from the songs to watching performance videos online, it was her escape and allowed her to be immersed into another world. You can imagine Kat’s excitement when it was finally coming back to Toronto on tour.

Oneday Dreams helped make Kat’s wildest dream come true. Kat and her best friend Megan visited the Princess of Wales Theatre to watch the musical, and as an added surprise, she went backstage after the show to see the Emerald City behind the scenes. She even had a nice visit with Glinda herself, Austen Bohmer. Kat’s dream experience also included a hotel stay downtown Toronto, merchandise from the show, and dinner for her and Megan.

After her dream, Kat sent us the following message: “Thank you for taking the time to listen to the people who apply, treating them with kindness and respect, and giving them hope.”

Special thank you to Kat for writing her own caption for this dream post 🙂

Shannon always had a love of nature, especially being near the water. Her dream was for a weekend getaway in the Muskoka region with her closest friends, son, and mom. Oneday Dreams arranged for Shannon and her guests to spend a weekend at a beautiful sandy lakefront cottage. They lounged around the fire pit and hot tub, took in incredible views of the scenic landscape, and shared many laughs and memories.

After her dream experience, Shannon said: “I had such a wonderful time at the beachfront cottage! Spending time with my family and friends meant so much to me, especially in such a beautiful and natural environment in Muskoka. Bonds became closer and the love and support touched my heart so deeply. We made great memories that I can take with me and hold forever. I can’t thank you angels and your organization enough for making this happen for me. God bless!”

Mike and his son Ryan had a special Saturday night tradition together – cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs while they watched Hockey Night in Canada. Mike always dreamt of taking Ryan to see a live game, but tragically, Ryan died in 2012. This made Mike’s request especially meaningful; he wanted to attend a game in honour and memory of Ryan. Together with his loved ones Megan and Lisa, and with the help of Oneday Dreams, Mike attended Game 4 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins playoff series. 

Following their trip, Lisa shared this message with us: “We can’t thank you enough for the opportunity you gave us to go to a Leafs game. It was so memorable and will be cherished well after Mike is gone. Meg and I saw the sparkle in his eyes just to be able to do this and we thank you for the bottom of our hearts.”

Maria’s dream was to celebrate her 91st birthday with a buffet dinner and birthday cake, surrounded by her greatest love and joy: her children and grandchildren. To add to the excitement, Maria’s granddaughter was getting married that same weekend so this dream included a big celebration of both milestones!

We decorated the hall in purple, complete with fresh flower centrepieces, a picturesque archway, and a cake that said “Happy Birthday Nonna” to recognize the role that Maria loved the most. The entire event was photographed by Oneday Dreams’ own Morgan Cantagallo. Thank you to the Giovanni Caboto Club for being generous hosts for the party!

Special thank you to WFCU Credit Union for making Maria’s 91st birthday one to be remembered. Their incredible donation helped make this entire dream come true!