Junior Woman’s Club To Make Child’s Dream Come True

Posted Oct 18, 2006 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Oct 18, 2006 at 10:49 AM

Tampa resident Shayla Lewkowiez was diagnosed with Leukemia in June.
She has one dream she would like to be fulfilled and the Temple Terrace Junior Woman’s Club is working with the Children’s Dream Fund to make it come true.
The club is selling cards from the dream fund. The cards cost $50 each and give the holder a 20 percent discount at nearly 160 stores from Nov. 3-12.
Many stores participating are in the Tampa area. Club member Mindy DeVane has been busy enlisting Temple Terrace vendors including Antonio’s Pasta Grille, Aspirations Winery, Natural Health Studios and Gas Bars.
Some of the other businesses participating include Ann Taylor, Avant Gold Jewelers, Cold Stone Creamery, JoAnn’s Interiors and The Pampered Chef.
“This will give people a chance to do some early holiday shopping and to help some of our children in the process,” said Kate Cigoi, the fund’s director of community relations. “There are over 160 stores in Hillsborough and Pinellas from local stores to national chains.”
The Children’s Dream Fund is a St. Petersburg-based nonprofit that covers 17 counties in West Central Florida. The fund works with hospitals to find children with life-threatening illnesses in order to make their dreams come true.
“We typically work with children aged 3 to 18, but if we have to go outside the guidelines we will,” Cigoi said. “We meet with families while the child is in the hospital and discuss what dream they would like to have come true.”
The club chose Lewkowiez due to her dream – she wants to go on an American Girl shopping spree and to see a Broadway play.
The club hosts an American Girl fashion show every fall along with many other fundraising events to help a variety of charities revolving around children. The show this year will be Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Nov. 5 at 1 and 4 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 3705 Spectrum Blvd.
“We help a lot of charities, local and national, that are mostly children-oriented,” DeVane said. “I am excited about the dream card fundraiser. I think it is an excellent organization and I am very proud we have partnered with them.”
Half of the proceeds raised from the cards the club sells will go to making Lewkowiez’s dream come true and the other half will go to its other charities.
“What the dream fund does is give the child and their family something to look forward to,” Cigoi said. “When they first learn about us, they may have been spending a lot of time in the hospital and doctor visits, which is not what they are used to. Our ultimate goal is to create a lifetime memory for the child and their family.”
Lee Ann Lewkowiez, Shayla’s mom, said she thinks what the dream fund is doing is wonderful.
“It has been very rough,” Lewkowiez said. “Just knowing what the dream fund is doing has helped her. She is so excited.”
Last year the dream card program raised $40,000 and made about 15 children’s dreams come true. 
The club has another fundraiser in partnership with Carrabba’s Italian Grill at the end of the month. Dinner will include chicken marsala, bread, salad and a side of pasta for $10 and is only available for take out.
All meals have to be picked up from Carrabba’s, 5515 E. Fowler Ave., Oct. 29 between noon and 2 p.m. The deadline for pre-paid orders is Oct. 24 and checks may be made payable to GFWC Temple Terrace Junior Woman’s Cub and should be sent to P.O. Box 16206, Temple Terrace, FL 33687. For more information, call DeVane at 988-3453.
For information about the club, visit http://www.ttjuniors.org or call 989-9566.

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