Want to help make a child's dream come true?

Be a Dream Maker!

100% of all donations go directly toward fulfilling the dreams of kids battling life-threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses.*

DonateNominate a Child
Lilly

dreamed of

meeting acapella group Pentatonix
Siblings in matching shirts take a photo in front of the Disney Castle
Emma

dreamed of

going to Disney World
Child and her mother posing with WWE star John Cena
Haven

dreamed of

meeting WWE wrestler John Cena
Family with baby taking a photo in front of a SeaWorld sign
Mackenzie

dreamed of

going to Disney World
Child in stroller with parents at Disney World
Yuval

dreamed of

going to Disney World
Boy posing with a Mickey Mouse statue in Disney World
Alex

dreamed of

going to Disney World with his mom and best friends.
Teenager holding a Dream Connection sign next to a building in Isle of Man
JoJo

dreamed of

traveling to watch the Isle of Man TT Race
Khloee dressed as a character on the show Shadowhunters
Khloee

dreamed of

meeting the cast of Shadowhunters
McKinley knew her dream was to go to Disney to meet Princesses.
McKinley

dreamed of

a family vacation to Disney World
Barrett

dreamed of

a week at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Cooper

dreamed of

a once in a lifetime vacation to Orlando, FL to visit Give Kids the World.
The Dream Connection Gala with Tony Vitello
The Dream Connection: Making Dreams Come True for almost 40 years
The 2024 Dream Connection Gala with Tony Vitello
Garrison's Dream!
Not only is Garrison entertained by the hilarious antics of Kai but he is moved and inspired by his love of life, his interaction with those in need, and his drive to make life be (…)
Thank You MDRT!
MDRT Foundation gave The Dream Connection a grant of $5000, which will go toward funding a dream for an East Tennessee child fighting chronically debilitating or life-threatening i (…)
MDRT Logo

What We Do

Dream Connection is a nonprofit that connects kids and their families with the funding they need to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and forget about hospitals, medicines and treatments for a short time.

The Dream Connection works like this:

1.
A Child is Nominated

2.
We learn about their dreams

3.
We pair them with a Dream Captainto pilot the process

4.
We find a way to fulfill their dream!

The Latest Dreams Come True

See some of the dreams that recently became reality – thanks to generous donors like YOU!


Lilly's Dream
"Lilly’s Pentatonix dream was made extra special with a limo ride to the concert where she also go to meet the group"
Lilly Bitner is a bright child with a bright smile. But sometimes, even the brightest of smiles have a hard time shining when battling illness. After being referred to us, the Drea (…)
Siblings in matching shirts take a photo in front of the Disney Castle
Emma's Dream
"Emma’s dream was for her and her brothers to go to Disney World so the Dream Connection did just that."
Emma’s dream was for her and her brothers to go to Disney World so the Dream Connection did just that. The family got a trip to Orlando which included round trip flight, a rental (…)
Child and her mother posing with WWE star John Cena
Haven's Dream
“She met so many superstars and had such a great time!”
Haven and her family made the trip to Birmingham, where they explored the surrounding museums and activities before experiencing the highlight of the trip—the WWE Live and a meet (…)
Family with baby taking a photo in front of a SeaWorld sign
Mackenzie's Dream
"A community that cares is a wonderful thing.”
“I want to go to Disney World.” Sitting on the clinic table, she smiled big in anticipation, completely at ease with the IV tubing delivering the chemotherapy of the week.
Child in stroller with parents at Disney World
Yuval's Dream
"Todo estuvo maravilloso"
“Everything was marvelous. Thanks to all the people who made this dream possible. Thanks to God for sending my angel to this earth and blessings to all of you.”
Boy posing with a Mickey Mouse statue in Disney World
Alex's Dream
"...making for a pretty special birthday party, complete with his favorite—Legos"
He’s just a kid enjoying Disney——until you notice the cap. “I Hate Cancer.” The cap may say what he hates, but his smile says that his heart is happy!
Teenager holding a Dream Connection sign next to a building in Isle of Man
JoJo's Dream
"This is an absolutely crazy motorcycle race held in the streets of the Isle of Man since 1907."
He called to say he would love to travel with his dad to watch the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) Race. JoJo and his father have watched this together for years.
Khloee dressed as a character on the show Shadowhunters
Khloee's Dream
"Behind the scenes access, 1-on-1 meetings with the cast, and fun in front of the green screen."
Miss Khloee is an intelligent 14 year old who has been battling multiple complications. But this didn’t stop her from dreaming big. Khloee’s dream was to meet the cast of Shado (…)
McKinley knew her dream was to go to Disney to meet Princesses.
McKinley's Dream
"From the moment McKinley got on the Zoom, she knew her dream was to go to Disney to meet Princesses, and she wanted to go Tomorrow!"
It took a few weeks, and her blood counts almost didn’t let her go. But her whole family finally took off on the first plane ride of their lives–in a thunderstorm! It was the (…)
Barrett's Dream
"We were able to rest and enjoy a vacation not having to worry"
Barrett was granted a wish to Gulf Shores, Alabama; he had been wanting to go to the beach for sometime and what a great experience The Dream Connection was able to provide him for (…)
Cooper's Dream
"Cooper has been such an inspiration to family, friends, and the Knoxville community. His resilience and determination is unmatched."
A trip to Give Kids the World would be such a breath of fresh air for Cooper. After many long hospital stays, hard treatments, and missing out on school, birthdays, and other event (…)

The Dream Connection by the Numbers

29

Dreams Fulfilled Each Year

40

Years of Making Dreams Come True

1120

Total Dreams Fulfilled by The Dream Connection

16

Counties Served in East TN

About The Dream Connection

Dream Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers that is focused on raising money to help fulfill the dreams of children diagnosed with life-threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses.

Established under Tennessee law in October 1985, The Dream Connection remains the only organization of its kind serving 16 counties of East Tennessee.

Memorable fulfilled dreams include trips to Dollywood, Disney World and LEGOLAND, as well as meetings with Tennessee native Kenny Chesney.

Group photo at the airport

Meet Our Dreamy Sponsors & Partners

Garze Law Firm Logo
Full Spectrum Marketing Logo
Olympus Car & Coach Logo
Embassy Suites Logo

*Garza Law’s support ensures every dollar donated goes toward a child’s dream

The Latest from the Dream Connection

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Turn a Kid's Dream Into Reality!

Want to bring joy and light into a child’s life? Your contributions help us make a big impact on kids with dreams that seem big to them – but are small compared to what they endure every day.