Who we are
We make dreams come true for children with a
life-threatening illness by giving them hope to believe
that tomorrow is worth fighting for.
Making dreams come true
Since 1988, The Reach For A Dream Foundation has brought hope, joy and healing to countless children by encouraging them to use their dreams to fight life-threatening illnesses.
We seek to alleviate the strain a critical illness places on children and their families by making their dreams come true. These dreams — ranging from meeting personal heroes to getting new toys or experiencing new things for the first time — provide them with a temporary escape and a much-needed distraction from often painful medical treatments. Most importantly, fulfilled dreams inspire hope, giving these children a reason to believe that tomorrow is worth fighting for.
Our national projects like Laughter Heroes, Dream Rooms and Dream Club provide ongoing support, enhancing the lives of these brave young fighters and their families.
Reach For A Dream relies solely on donor funding and public support to ensure the success of our initiatives. We’re proud of our Level 1 B-BBEE certification but mostly of making magic happen.
Our initiatives
Discover how Dreams, Laughter Heroes, Dream Rooms and Dream Club enrich the lives of children facing serious health challenges.
Laughter Heroes
Bringing therapeutic laughter to hospitals since 2017 with comedy, magic, and stories, lifting the spirits of young patients.
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Dream Rooms
Creating vibrant spaces within hospitals that offer a joyful escape, complete with immersive VR experiences for magical adventures.
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Dream Club
Connecting dreamers in a supportive network, sharing journeys of resilience and triumph, empowering each other along the way.
LEARN MORE36 Years of dreams
Reach For A Dream’s inception was inspired by an article about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, based in America. Owen Parnell, a past Rotary Club President, was struck by the opportunity to establish a similar venture in South Africa. On 7 July 1988, Reach For A Dream made its very first dream come true. The first dreamer, little JC Steinman, was treated to a wonderful birthday celebration including rides on a pony and a motorcycle.
From modest beginnings where we provided simple treats and entertainment to hospital patients, we’ve grown into a leading NGO, receiving the CSI Legacy award for Best NGO in South Africa in 2022. Our evolution has been driven by a dedicated team of staff, volunteers, YES4YOUTH graduates and board members, who work tirelessly to ensure every child’s dream is heard and fulfilled.
Meet our Board
We are proud to have a committed and passionate Board of Directors, who volunteer their time to support our purpose and strategy.
Julia Sotirianakos
CEO
Peter Moyanga
Chairman
Lance Williams
Vice Chairman and Treasurer
Prof. Gita Naidu
Non-Executive Director
Heidi Brauer
Non-Executive Director
Itumeleng Mothibeli
Non-Executive Director
Jason Schmulian
Non-Executive Director
Gerry Thomas
Non-Executive Director
2024 Annual Review: Our Journey of Dreams
In 2024, we continued our journey of making dreams come true. Whether it was going somewhere special, meeting a role model or owning something they’ve always wanted dreamed of, we’ve fulfilled 2 289 dreams – that is over six children a day, 366 days of the last year. Our 2024 Annual Review captures the memories and friendships we created during our Dream Club outings and the hope we’ve inspired through our 10 new Dream Rooms. Look through our heartfelt commemoration of the journey we’ve taken in making dreams come true with all the friends we’ve made along the way.
Download 2024 annual reviewOur donors
Thank you to our donors for making dreams come true.
To all our community donors (including media, influencers, celebrities, businesses and individuals) who support us – we salute you. You are valued dream-makers!
