The Rainbow Connection competitive scholarship program awards $1,000 to exceptional wish children as they pursue higher education. Gioia, a 2025 TRC Scholarship Recipient, reflects on her experience since she first met with The Rainbow Connection.

When I was 6 years old, my wish was to go to Disney World. Like any little girl, I dreamed of going to Disney World, and the Rainbow Connection made my dream a reality in more ways than I thought possible. Right off the bat, the experience was incredibly magical. I remember waking up early that morning so excited. When I found out a limo would be driving us to the airport, my excitement continued to build. I felt so special riding in a limo. I loved every second of the drive, bubbling with energy the whole way there. I had traveled a few times before my diagnosis and loved flying. I was so excited to be at the airport again for the first time since getting diagnosed with cancer. Disney was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I had so much fun riding the roller coasters again and again, and I felt so cool with my fast pass. I loved meeting all the characters and getting to have lunch in Cinderella’s castle. Any mention of Disney World still gives me intense feelings of nostalgia and happiness. However, the most memorable part of the trip was getting to stay in Give Kids the World Village. To this day, the
village holds a special place in my heart. I absolutely loved the house my family was assigned to.
I thought it looked like a castle. It was also right across from the Candy Land-themed playground. This meant that at every spare moment, my sister and I would run out and play on the amazing playground. Everything about The Village just made my experience so much more remarkable. Getting ice cream after every meal. Get pampered at Twinkle Hope’s rockin’ spa. I was so excited to take part in the evening activities day after day. Whether that included a pirate princess party, Mayor Clayton’s birthday party, or trick or treating. The volunteers of course, played a big part in helping me enjoy my time there. A memory I have that always makes me smile when I think of it is every night after coming back from the parks, or going out, me and my sister would race back to our house to see what toys the cleaners had left for us. To this day, I still have all the stuffed animals I received during my wish trip. For once, being different was a
good thing, not a bad one.
The impact of The Rainbow Connection and Give Kids The World Village has truly been long-lasting. We have been back to visit The Village several times and have even volunteered a few times. Every time we go back, we make sure to look at my star which represents myself as a visitor of the village. The difficulty of finding my star and seeing the number of stars added every time we go back truly puts into perspective just how many kids are affected by life-altering conditions and diseases. It is heartbreaking, but it certainly reminds me of how lucky I am to be where I am today. It motivates me and my family to give back by volunteering and making donations. We normally volunteer on Christmas or the days surrounding it. We help out in the dining hall during the dinner service by serving the food and bussing tables. It’s not much, but at least we get to interact with the families currently staying there and express our gratitude for everything we were given.

The Rainbow Connection’s impact on my life didn’t end after my wish trip. There were several other events hosted by The Rainbow Connection that I looked forward to year-round. The Christmas party was a big one. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I really looked forward to going to the party in December. I remember having so much fun with the various activities offered there. Another event that I have very fond memories of is the summer picnic. I just loved getting to spend time having fun in the sun with my friends. Running around, playing games, winning prizes, entering raffles, getting my face painted. I would get so excited when these events would roll around, and if, for some reason, we couldn’t make it, I would be heartbroken. I have so many happy memories from these events.

The biggest thing that The Rainbow Connection gave me was community. It provided a time and a place for families with similar circumstances to mine to get together and enjoy time together. My family had met and befriended so many other wonderful families. It is so therapeutic to get to talk to and have fun with other families in similar situations. I always enjoyed hanging out with other cancer patients and survivors. It made me feel less alone which can be the most impactful thing in these situations. During my treatment in the hospital, I met some really great friends of my age who were going through the same thing I was. These friends were so remarkable and meant a lot to me, but unfortunately, we all lived so far away from one another, and especially after treatment ended, we weren’t able to see each other much. Thanks to the events hosted by The Rainbow Connection, for a day, we were all able to come together and spend quality time with one another. My cancer friends are some of my most meaningful friendships, and these events allowed me to keep in touch and make happy memories with them.

The Rainbow Connection has truly done so much for me over the years, and for that, I am eternally grateful. All these events have given me some wonderful and joyful childhood memories tied to my cancer experience. Having cancer is an awful and life-changing thing. However, wonderful organizations like The Rainbow Connection make the experience a little more positive. I don’t know where I would be without the contributions and support of The Rainbow Connection throughout my journey.