Resort Devoted to Serving Sick Children Gets Makeover
Friday, January 24, 2014
By: Alicia Mandigo

This morning Give Kids the World unveils what it's calling an "Extreme Village Makeover." The anniversary makeover required closing the village for the first time in its 25 year history.

[A worker finishes grouting a new tile floor in one of the Give Kids The World villas]

Give Kids the World was created so that children with life threatening illnesses can have a chance to visit Orlando area theme parks for free.  Founded by independent hotelier Henri Landwirth, the Village opened its doors in 1989. Give Kids the World spokesman Mark Hoewing says staying at the village can be a very healing experience for a lot of the kids.

“For the first time in a lot of their lives, nobody is staring at them, everybody is the same, either everybody has a bald head or a trach in their throat or in a wheelchair, those kinds of things,” he says.

During the last 25 years, 120,000 families from the United States and 70 other countries have stayed at the Give Kids the World Village.  The makeover required the village to close for two weeks- but guests can check into the newly renovated resort on January 27^th.