Reach For a Dream

The inspiration to start the Reach For A Dream Foundtion came from an article on the Make - A - Wish Foundation, based in America. Owen Parnell, past Randburg Rotary Club President, was struck by the opportunity to establish a similar venture in South Africa. On 7 July 1988, the organisation made its very first dream come true. And so the journey of dream fulfillment began. Our first dreamer, little J C Steinman, was treated to a wonderful birthday celebration with rides on a pony and a motorcycle. Officially named the Reach For A Dream Foundation in 1991, the organisation defined its core purpose as “fulfilling the dreams of children of any race, colour and creed between the ages of 3 and 18 faced with a life-threatening illness.”

For 24 years the Reach For A Dream Foundation, has brought hope, joy and healing to countless South African children. These children between the ages of 3 and 18 years have used their dreams to fight life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and leukaemia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, renal failure and various blood disorders.

Reach For A Dream seeks to alleviate the strain that a life-threatening illness places on these children and their families by providing the children with the opportunity to realise their dream. Reach For A Dream enriches children's lives by making dreams come true and as a result, distracting them from the needles, medication and hospital environment. These young children are under extreme pressure to deal with these medical issues and are in desperate need of our encouragement. In addition, Reach For A Dream offers the child a magical moment to regain their childhood that is being lost to an illness.