On April 12th, Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida, debuted their brand newest offering. The village, known for its commitment to create magical and unforgettable experiences for critically ill children and their families, has debuted a brand new relaxation spa, Olivia’s Oasis, exclusively for Wish parents, adult family members, and Caregivers. The opening marks another milestone in the history of the 89-acre non-profit resort, which provides life-changing week-long wish vacations at no cost.
Designed to provide caregivers a respite from the stress of caring for a critically ill child, Olivia’s Oasis will be open seven days a week, 365 days a year, and will be staffed by caring and compassionate volunteers. It provides these guests with a tranquil ambience, with seven unique quiet spaces for relaxing and reflecting. Each space offers state-of-the-art amenities, inducing SolaJet Dry-Hydrotherapy massage tables and chairs, providing spa-quality massages at the touch of a button. Therapy loungers, aromatherapy, chromotherapy (ambient light to promote calmness), a hydration station, and more are also offered at the new facility.
Angie Patrick, who’s daughter, Olivia, is the spa’s namesake, was heavily involved in the design process. “Olivia’s Oasis is for the fearless grown-ups trying hard to keep the faith,” she said. “A place to rejuvenate the spirit so these beautiful parents can continue to be there for their children. As the flight attendants always say, you must put your own oxygen mask on before you can help others.”
Olivia visited the village while battling medulloblastoma, along with Angie and her dad, Joe Wampler, returning several times as part of the Welcome Back Family program. Sadly, Olivia passed away at the age of 17 in 2021. As the one-year anniversary of Olivia’s passing was near, fate brought the Wamplers back to the Village. Unaware of the family’s history with Give Kids the World, a colleague in the massage industry reached out to see if Angie could help source equipment for a new spa being built at the Village. The serendipitous connection inspired Angie to rally a team of massage equipment manufacturers led by SolaJet.
GKTW President and CEO Pamela Landwirth thanked all the donors, saying “We appreciate the support of all the in-kind donors who are working together to make Olivia’s Oasis a very special place for wish parents and caregivers.” An anonymous donor is largely responsible for the venue, along with other supporters, including Inifnty Massage Chairs, Scrip Companies, Core Products, Benefect, Harmony Salt, Oakworks, Inc, Himalayan Secrets, Hand & Stone, and Amy Perrault.
SPA WALK
Olivia’s Oasis is just the latest in a line of projects at Give Kids the World village. The Village also completely reimagined its iconic Star experience into a highly-interactive encounter. The most treasured experience of all, Stellar’s Star Experience allows every Wish child to customize a gold star and have it placed permanently within a galaxy of stars in the Castle of Miracles and Wish Tower. To make this special moment even more memorable, the Village worked with SteamLabs to completely reimagine the experience, making it highly interactive with cutting edge animation, fully integrated audio, and charming new characters. All presented in four different languages: English, Spanish, French, and Hebrew. Check out the video below to see a presentation of the new Star Experience.
Next up for the Village is a place where technology, creativity, and hands-on projects come together – Mayor Clayton’s WonderLab. Inside, Wish Kids and teens will be able to discover that each of the 6 unique rooms provide super fun with S.T.E.A.M. activities, including a giant marble run, soldering light-up pins, animatronic workshops, and creative cardboard construction techniques. It will have the power to inspire hope through imagination, wonder, and possibility. Its aim is to spark curiosity by discovering new interests at the Village, so that kids return home with renewed purpose and ideas for the future.
As part of the Village’s efforts to continually enhance the experience provided to Wish families, 142 Wish family villas were recently renovated, with design created by Holiday Inn Club Vacations Vice President Construction, Design & Development, Gary Rall and his design team. Virtually every aspect of the villas was enhanced, including new furniture and case goods, a new color palette, new artwork, a redesign of the children’s room, and more. The upgraded villas provide a welcoming, comfortable and relaxing home away from home for Wish families during week-long stays.
And finally, Amberville – an interactive train station that includes a model railroad, remote control boats, arcade, billiards, and more – has added a new gaming center. Using donated products, over 30 feet of LED lighting, two PlayStation 5s, over half a dozen bean bag chairs, and two 50-inch LCD screens creating an environment where families can have fun gaming together.
GKTW also partnered with MCParks Build Team, which brings theme parks built to scale to life inside Minecraft. Together, the group built a scale model of Give Kids the World Village inside Minecraft for use as a planning tool, for Wish families to use to help navigate the village, and a fun way to remember their visit after their trip.
For more information about the Village, to make a donation, or to inquire about volunteer opportunities, you can visit www.gktw.org.