Reach for a Dream worked hard to make sure their dreamers got showered with gifts and even launched a VR experience to bring adventure into isolation.
South Africa (01 February 2021) – Reach For A Dream has continued fulfilling the dreams of children from across South Africa between the ages of 3 and 18 faced with a life-threatening illness.
Despite the lockdown and global pandemic, Reach For A Dream continued engaging with children, families and medical teams across South Africa. The Foundation has had to adapt to this ‘new normal’, and in doing so has a list of dream children in waiting.
Reach for a Dream embraced digital and virtual celebrations during 2020 due to the pandemic. Their annual Slipper Day was transformed into a virtual week-long event. Not only that, they turned to virtual reality (VR) to help bring entertainment to children in hospital.
They launched the VR experiences in late November 2020 as a way to help children escape on an adventure for a time. Many dreamers ask for experiences instead of an item and as the pandemic has meant isolation for many families with children battling life-threatening illnesses and diseases, VR is the next best option.
“Through virtual reality, the boundaries are bridged and children in isolation will be able to immerse themselves in a world that allows for escapism, creativity and freedom. The idea is not to replace the actual dream, but to make otherwise impossible dream experiences come true with the power of VR and at the same time ensuring the safety of our dreamers, and ultimately enabling our dream children to dream.” – Natalie Lazaris, Reach For A Dream’s Business Head
While 2020 was a hard year for many, Reach for a Dream made sure to bring joy to as many children as possible. They plan to do the very same for 2021. Should you wish to support dreams, you can donate via their website here. If you want to get involved with the VR aspect, you can find out more here.
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