Feb 14th, 2019 [Kissimmee, FL]

Give Kids The World Village, the Kissimmee-based, nonprofit resort for critically ill children and their families, unveiled its newest attraction Thursday: a wheelchair-accessible swing ride that seats nine.

The ride is named "Kelly's Sunny Swing" in honor of a child who visited the Village in the early 1990s.

The ride was officially opened with a ceremony attended by families staying at the resort, staff, volunteers, and members of local media. At the opening ceremony, Give Kids The World President and CEO Pamela Landwirth said the swing was a terrific addition to the Village.

"It's so important that we make everything as accessible as possible for our visiting families," said Landwirth. "We're very excited to unveil this new attraction. It's going to bring a lot of joy to a lot of folks."

Give Kids The World Village is built to accommodate the abilities of the critically ill children it serves - and Kelly's Sunny Swing is no exception. The brightly colored swing - topped with a rainbow and smiling sun - features eight standard seats and one specially designed space to accommodate riders using wheelchairs.

Kaylin, a 9-year-old who visited Give Kids The World in 2014, was one of the first to ride Kelly's Sunny Swing after the grand opening. She said "it was hands-down one of my favorite rides at the Village."

Kelly's Sunny Swing is the fourth wheelchair-accessible attraction at Give Kids The World, joining a carousel, child-size train, and a pedal-powered flying ride. Zamperla, an Italian design and manufacturing company, built the swing and donated it to Give Kids The World Village. It is the third ride Zamperla has given to the Village.

"Mr. Zamperla has become a dear friend," said Landwirth. "They share our passion for giving joy to children and our passion for accessibility."

The attraction was named after a young girl named Kelly, who stayed at Give Kids The World Village in 1993. After they returned home, her parents sent the Village a heartfelt letter describing the impact of their stay. Pamela Landwirth carries that letter with her to this day.

About Give Kids the World Village
Give Kids The World Village is an 89-acre, nonprofit resort built exclusively to serve critically-ill children and their families. Children visiting Central Florida on their "wish trips," stay with their families at Give Kids The World's storybook Village for weeklong, dream vacations. Give Kids The World provides meals, transportation, nightly entertainment, and complimentary passes to Orlando's world-famous theme parks and other attractions. There is never any charge to visiting families, and no child is ever turned away. Since 1986, Give Kids The World Village has served more than 193,000 children and families from all 50 states and 77 countries. GKTW is four-star rated by Charity Navigator, with more than 90 cents of every dollar it spends going to program services.

For more information, contact Give Kids The World Village Public Relations manager, Cindy Elliott.