It All Started with a Simple Act of Kindness
We’ve never turned away an eligible dreamer, and we never will.
In 1984, the late Thomas R. McGehee, Chairman of Mac Papers, and his wife, Delia, met a 17-year-old boy named George Lee, battling cystic fibrosis. George loved golf, and when McGehee learned this, he arranged for George to play with Fred Couples in the Pro-Am of The Players Championship (TPC).
Following an exciting round of play, Couples gave George his driver. This simple act of kindness not only meant the world to George but also to his family. A year later, George lost his battle with cystic fibrosis and was buried with his prized driver at his side.
That could have been the end of the story, but Mr. McGehee realized the power of a dream fulfilled. Partnering with his friends, Hugh Jones (Chairman of Barnett Bank), Jay Stein and Jack Williams (Stein Mart), and Roy Baker (Chairman of the Board of Directors of University Medical Center), as well as his godson, Dr. Paul Wharton, they launched Dreams Come True, a non-profit organization dedicated to granting the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses.
Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia’s Local Dream Granting Organization
What Makes Us Different
100% Local
Beyond the Dream
Community Partners
Donations
30+ Years of Local Commitment
Dreams Come True was founded in 1984 in Northeast Florida and remains in the region, supporting local children and families.
Creating Lasting Memories
We provide additional moments of joy and hope before and following a child’s dream trip or experience.
Building Bridges
We have strong relationships with all the hospitals and clinics in Northeast Florida that treat our dream children. We also work closely with many local businesses and individuals in fundraising and creating exclusive experiences.
Donations Go Toward Dreams
100% of all donations, unless designed otherwise by the donor, go toward children’s dreams.
We Share the Magic of Dreams
More than 4,500 dreams since 1984, and over 520 children are dreaming and growing!
We continue to focus on the opportunity to create hope and joy for our dreamers and their families through the power of a dream and the moments in between. Our vision is always to ensure that our dream families know we are there to bring them the support they need, no matter what.
The magic of a dream is only possible with the support of our community. If you would like to join our team by raising funds or donating toward a dream, please contact us today. You can be the shining light for our brave Dreamers and their families.
We love hosting Dream parties for our Dreamers, but they do not all happen at our office in Jacksonville. This past weekend we took over the University of Florida Guy Bostick Clubhouse in Gainesville to celebrate 16-year-old Ansley’s upcoming summer getaway dream trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. 🌴🌞
Joined by the Florida Gators Men`s Golf Team, we went over all her trip details. Ansley and her family will enjoy accommodations at The Sheraton Waikiki, a tour of Pearl Harbor, a luau, ATV ride and ziplining, among many other fun activities during her time in Hawaii.
To help her get all prepared for her travels, the UF Men’s Golf Team provided Ansley and her family everything they would need for their travels - from beach towels, to sunglasses, hats and more.
Ansley’s dream is being sponsored by Golf Fights Cancer and the UF Men’s Golf Team, who hosted The Gator Good Guys Collegiate Cup in January, raising $75,000 to support the dreams of northeast Florida children battling cancer, like Ansley.
Ansley was referred to Dreams Come True after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2020. She underwent a craniotomy and tumor resection the following month. Unfortunately, in October 2022, a follow up MRI confirmed there were changes in the area of her original tumor. It was slow growing and needed to be monitored. In February 2023, Ansley underwent another brain surgery to remove the tumor. By the spring, Ansley was cleared to return back to all her extracurricular activities. Today, she is looking forward to enjoying a beautiful getaway with her family and soon will be planning for college, which she is hoping might be the University of Florida.
A huge thank you to Coach Deacon and the team for hosting Ansley’s dream celebration. Ansley is one of 15 dreams in 2024 that are being made possible by Golf Fights Cancer and the UF Men’s Golf Team.
#DreamBig #MeetADreamerMonday #Hawaii #Luau
Dreamer Mason found our barrel. It’s your last day to find our barrel at the Clay County Fair and vote! Winning organization gets $500.
Heading out to the Clay County fair this evening/weekend, make sure to look for our bench! These are the final days for the Clay County Fair, which means your time to vote and bid on this beautiful bench painted by Heather Ivy at the at The Art Room is winding down. All proceeds we receive will go directly to local children battling life-threatening medical conditions.
✔️Vote, by texting "Dreams" to 904-284-1615. You can vote once a day.
✔️Bid, by visiting https://qtego.us/qlink/claycountyfair
We are so blessed to have amazing partnerships with the top notch medical facilities in the region and ❤️❤️ the opportunity to give back to them and the children and families they support. Recently, with the help of an awesome group of volunteers from Regency Centers, we took over the lobby of Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville and provided crafts for our Dreamers and those visiting the facility to enjoy. It was 3 hours of stained-glass painting, unicorn sparkles, dinosaur handprints, and more smiles then we could count. 🖌🖍
#volunteering #giveback #community #makeadifference
⏳Time is running out. We are less than a week away from our Kickoff Luncheon. Register today - LINK IN BIO! We will be introducing you to our run ambassadors and providing all the tools to make your involvement in the 2024 DCT5K on September 21 fun and successful. It will be a party you do not want to miss!
#WhereAreTheyNowWednesday Chris was in a horrible car accident in 2017, which left him with a severe traumatic brain injury. Darius Rucker’s music was a HUGE part of his life. Relearning to play Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” on the guitar was a crucial goal in his recovery. For a very active young man that was told he would never walk or speak again, the intricacies of playing guitar seemed like something so far out of his reach. But, to everyone’s surprise Chris made a remarkable recovery and “Wagon Wheel” was remastered!
Chris’ dream of meeting Darius Rucker was fulfilled in 2018, and the same year he was one of our Kaye`s Kids, receiving a special guitar to continue his love for music.
#Now…Chris was married in June 2023 and “full of more joy than ever been before.” He is majoring in engineering and expecting to graduate in the spring of 2025.
#DreamBig
