ARCHDIOCESE — McAuley High School students, for the third consecutive year, participated in a service immersion trip to Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida, from June 17- 23. Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort for children with life-threatening illnesses whose one wish is to visit Central Florida’s best loved attractions. Children from all over the world come to the village to have their wishes come true.

During their time at the village, the students served and cleaned up meals, interacted with the children at the Amberville Train Station (video game area), assisted with photos of the children with the various Disney characters visiting the village, painted faces, decorated cookies and supervised the village carrousel and live horse rides. They became fans during the Village Idol competition (similar to television’s "American Idol" with children at the village writing and performing their songs) and escorted children around the village. The students returned from the trip with a new understanding of how children cope with the reality of terminal illness.