A Magical Place
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
The college football bowl season runs concurrent to the holidays every year and players from teams across the country are fortunate to go on the experience of a lifetime with their teams.
Players often receive five-star treatment at the bowls, staying in first class hotels and participating in a variety of unique and exciting activities. On Monday morning, the Miami Hurricanes visited the Give Kids the World Village in Central Florida to give back some holiday cheer to some incredible kids.
“At the bowl game, we get a lot of gifts and are doing a lot of receiving,” Miami defensive back Corn Elder said. “So for us to be here and be the ones giving and putting joy on some of these kids faces is definitely important.”
Elder and his Miami teammates distributed stuffed bears and miniature Sebastian the Ibis dolls to the kids in attendance at Give Kids the World Village, a 79-acre, nonprofit resort that provides weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
The Hurricanes also danced, played games and interacted with the kids and families at Give Kids the World Village, providing an unforgettable morning for everyone involved.
“You get to see these kids enjoying their lives and they don’t know what is going to happen next,” Elder said. “It shows us that there are a lot of things bigger than just football. It’s very important for us to do this. A lot of these kids look at us as superstars or role models and it’s exciting to be able to do this for them.”
Hurricanes could be found throughout the expansive property spending time with the kids. Kendrick Norton, Malik Mayweather and CJ Perry were in one corner playing catch, while Brad Kaaya was playing video games with a young Canes fan. Look to another corner and Bar Milo and Gage Batten were showing kids how to bowl and having so much fun doing it.
“Our bowl week has been fantastic,” Milo said. “We have been having so much fun, especially in Orlando with so much to do. But taking the time out from our bowl week to see these kids, who find it so fun to just be around us, has been a blessing.
The redshirt freshman offensive lineman spent most of his morning setting up bowling pins and showing kids how to throw a perfect strike and knock them down. Then came a high five or a hug and a big smile, both on Milo’s face and the happy child’s.
“This village that they have here is so awesome,” Milo said. “It’s amazing how much they do for these kids. They’re having so much fun from the littlest of things and I get to experience some of their happiness, too. It’s definitely something that I will remember for a long time.”
The Village and its community partners provide children and their families accommodations in fully-furnished villas, transportation, tickets to theme parks, meals, daily entertainment and much more.
“We’ve been very lucky,” Give Kids the World Village public relations manager Sylvia Oliande said. “Our supporters are very generous with their time. This event is one that has been very consistent. We can count on the teams every year and it’s a really nice thing to look forward to. I know the kids and parents and the staff and volunteers really look forward to this day every year.”
Each year 27,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Half of all children eligible for a wish through a partnering wish-granting organization choose to visit Central Florida and its collection of theme parks and other attractions.
“An event like this is an amazing thing because our children, they have their struggles every day and to see these young men persevere and be determined to be the best on the field gives them inspiration,” Oliande said. “At Give Kids the World Village, we try to give them as many magical moments as possible and this is obviously very much one of them.”
The goal of Give Kids the World Village is to provide everything these deserving families need to make their trip the vacation of a lifetime. Since 1986, more than 150,000 children and families have had their dreams fulfilled in a whimsical Village unlike any other place on earth.
“To have people like us come along and put a smile on a child’s face is enough to warm our hearts,” Miami offensive lineman Kc McDermott said. “There are some things we may complain about in our life, but these are people who are struggling a lot harder than we are and that puts this whole thing into perspective.”
McDermott, Elder and Milo are just three of the many Hurricanes who were excited to help make an impact on a young child’s life on Monday. For Milo, it was one of the best experiences of his 2016 bowl week and one that he will remember for years to come, much like the kids he met with will remember him.
“I try to do as much community service as I can,” Milo said. “Obviously we have football and school, but when I can give back to the community, I always want to. This opportunity was so great. I didn’t know of this place until now, but I am so fortunate to have gotten to meet some of these kids and played with them. They’re so excited to play with us and it makes you realize that there are people that are watching us and our actions matter to them and influence them. It’s a blessing to be able to do this.”
