For many children facing life-threatening illnesses, the realities of their battles do not stop once a dream is fulfilled. In the effort to create additional moments of joy and hope for local children before and after their dream, Dreams Come True established Special Times. Yesterday, the Ring Power Corporation, for a third year, hosted dreamers for a Special Time at their corporate headquarters in St. Augustine.
Organized through Dreams Come True’s young professionals group, the Horizon Board, Tavi Sport, 4, Cayden Seng, 7, and Ronald Brown, 7, enjoyed a private tour of the Ring Power facility off World Commerce Parkway.
With representatives from Ring Power Corporation and Dreams Come True, each dreamer was given the opportunity to see and learn about Caterpillar® equipment. Their tour included the chance to practice operating heavy machinery with the help of simulators in Ring Power’s Training Department, visits to the Power Systems Truck Shop and the Heavy Equipment Service Shop, an opportunity to climb on stationary equipment, a backhoe loader demonstration and individual tours of Ring Power’s property in the cab of a 740 Cat® dump truck. Following their tour, each dreamer was given a bag filled with special toys and souvenirs from Ring Power Corporation.
A past Horizon Board member, Heather Lane, works in Ring Power’s marketing department and has helped coordinate the tours for the past three years.
“Dreams Come True is a remarkable local organization. It brings such joy to so many in Northeast Florida, Ring Power included. Our team feels honored to get to spend time with these special children, I think our employees enjoy it more than the kids do! It’s been one of the most rewarding highlights of my position here,” said Lane.
Dreams Come True’s Special Times program provides the dream child and his or her family a time to momentarily forget the realities of life-threatening illnesses. It may be a special tour, dinner at a favorite restaurant, tickets to local events, a relaxing evening at the movies, a day of beauty, a gift certificate to a store, new release DVDs or even a special holiday or birthday treat.
Since 2010, Ring Power Corporation has hosted 15 dreamers and their families for this Special Time organized by the Horizon Board.