Tomorrow is the big day! It has been months in the making and the Reeds, Planet Ford staff and Best Buddies will be taking off for Florida for their dream vacation. Randall and Sherry Reed, the Planet Ford staff and Best Buddies have been raising money for month to create a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for these amazing kids and their families. Tomorrow the Best Buddies crew will depart from George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 10:10 a.m.
The students from the Best Buddies chapter at Kingwood Park High School (KPHS) will bask in the incredible sights and sounds of the Disney World theme park and Universal Studios. The Reed family, Planet Ford and various generous donors have helped make this trip a reality.
“My family and our team at Planet Ford are thrilled to lend a helping hand in making this dream vacation come true,” said Mr. Reed. “Everyone has worked hard, including these amazing kids, to help make this all a reality. Now, they are ready to take flight for fun.”
These students, who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, are not able to go on school field trips without their parents because of their special needs. “We want to provide these students the quintessential experience and adventure of a class trip that other high school students may take for granted,” said Chuck Kramer, General Manager/Operating Partner.
Not only will the children receive hotel, airfare and tickets to the theme parks, Mr. Reed provided each child with mementos, as well. The students will receive a one-of-a-kind water spritzing fan to keep them cool, autograph books for treasured memories and custom-designed T-shirts showing the unity of the group. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Reed will be traveling alongside the kids in Florida for all the fun, from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal to Space Mountain at Disney.
This trip is the result of the Reed’s memorable and moving visits to the Best Buddies program in Humble, Texas. “These families rarely, if ever, have the time or resources to take a vacation together, much less to a place as magical as Disney,” Mrs. Reed said. “Now, they all get to travel together, family and friends, on a fairytale getaway. We are thankful to be part of the journey.”
KPHS Best Buddies is part of a nonprofit 501(c)(3) global organization of volunteers and students dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships between students with learning differences and disabilities and their student peers. Best Buddies also provides students with a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills. With the support of school faculty and Best Buddies staff, students lead and direct the school chapter.
To learn more about the award-winning Randall Reed’s Planet Ford in Humble (serving Kingwood, Atascocita, Conroe, Katy and Houston), please visit www.PlanetFord59.com.