It's hard to believe that it was nearly a year ago when I first became personally involved with Give Kids the World, a Kissimmee, Fla.-based storybook-themed village that hosts seriously and sometimes terminally ill children and their families for a week while they enjoy Orlando's theme parks, all free of charge.

Give Kids the World's continued efforts provide this gift of quality, carefree time spent together by families who get a welcome, much-needed respite from hospitals, doctors and diagnoses. It's an experience during which these children can just be kids for a week, and simply enjoy themselves, the way that all children should. It's an incredible thing to witness, and it makes you take stock of your own blessings in a way that few other things can.

In August 2015 I visited GKTW for the first time as part of the Workers' Compensation Institute's (WCI) annual volunteer day, during which a variety of insurance professionals representing an array of TPAs, P&C and health carriers, MGAs and others as well as medical professionals descend upon the village and donate their time by doing landscaping work, painting or volunteering inside the facility's many family-facing areas, including its ice cream parlor and the main castle. The troops go home exhausted but emotionally buoyed by their chance to contribute something to an organization that gives so much to so many: In the 30 years that it's been in operation, GKTW has hosted nearly 140,000 children.

Annual fundraising event Aug. 20

Each year, WCI also hosts a fundraising dinner/silent auction/casino night to benefit this wonderful charitable organization. The event, held annually on the Saturday night before WCI's annual Educational Conference kicks off at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, is scheduled this year for Aug. 20 from 5:30-11 p.m.

A few months ago, I got a call from WCI's Jim McConnaughhay, who for years had encouraged me to come down and check out the volunteer day. “When you see it, you'll understand,” he would tell me. Only this time, the invitation he offered would only strengthen my involvement; Jim asked if I would be interested in emceeing the Aug. 20 fundraiser.

Evidently, the speech that I delivered during the opening general session at WCI's Educational Conference in 2015 — which I threw together at the last minute and was admittedly well-received at the time — had deeper impact than I expected. I'd recounted my personal experience with a little girl at the end of my volunteer shift, which was a transformative moment for me. You can watch the video at this link.

Kids and families benefit

I accepted instantly, and I'm proud to report that I'll be emceeing this year's fundraising dinner/silent auction/casino night. It's an honor to do so, and I look forward to helping GKTW raise as much money as possible during the event and — perhaps just as important — helping to share the perspective and story of at least one of the families who have benefitted from donors' generosity.

There are so many worthy charitable organizations out there competing for funds in a time when so many of us are working harder than ever just to make ends meet. What is it about Give Kids the World that makes it worth your consideration?

Well, first, let's consider the word “charity” — a term with which I'm not comfortable anymore, simply because it's over-used and has lost much of its impact. Well-intentioned as it may be, the word puts people on the spot; it makes folks defensive when they hear “it's for charity,” and I don't blame them. It's an implied guilt trip, in many cases, that can be used to shame you into contributing to the cause, regardless of whether you're emotionally invested in it or not. There are other terms that deliver the same meaning. “Generosity” is one. “Mercy” is another.

And what Give Kids the World delivers is exactly that: mercy. A week's escape from the daily struggles of everyday life dealing with illnesses that are, in a great many cases, debilitating. A chance for families to leave the challenges of a “real world” that can be all too unkind to them behind and enjoy themselves — all too often for the last time as a family.

I don't know about you, but that's something I very much want to be a part of. And that I will continue to support, as long as I'm able.

Individual tickets for WCI's Give Kids the World fundraising dinner/silent auction/casino night are $50 each and tables for 10 can be purchased for $450. Tickets/tables can be purchased by visiting WCI's website.

Special Reports /

Giving Kids the World, with WCI

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