Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993 TAG: 9311180089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG LESMERISES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The youngsters, age 8 to 13, are in the Magic Kingdom today, helping celebrate Mickey Mouse's birthday and National Children's Day.
Two of them, Joshua Crowe and Shellie Alcorn, will be part of a 30-child panel in a question-and-answer session with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Joshua plans to ask why trees are always being torn down and Shellie wants to know how the future of children will be affected by health care reform.
But the children aren't concerned with the itinerary; they just want to have fun.
"I want to watch TV down there and go walking around and see Goofy and all them," said 8-year-old J.C. Wilson.
Oh yeah . . .
"And see Donald Duck."
They were chosen, along with 10 children each from Norfolk and Richmond, to be among 6,500 students from the United States and 10 other countries spending four days living what one Roanoke parent called "every child's dream."
"I think all kids should have their dreams come true," said Robert Alcorn, Shellie's father. "All kids should get to go there once in a lifetime."
The children were chosen by the Community Development and Outreach program of Total Action against Poverty.
The Children's Defense Fund asked the governor's office to select 30 Virginia children. The governor's office asked TAP in July to identify candidates.
They were to come from disadvantaged families, be between 8 and 12 and not otherwise have a chance to go to Disney World. Most of them also were to be part of the Head Start program.
For Isiah Wiley, the requirements read like a personal resume.
His eighth-grade class was planning a trip to Disney World, but his mother couldn't afford the $400 fee.
Then, they were told in September that Isiah had been chosen, just weeks before he turned 13 and would have been ineligible.
"What a blessing," said his mother, Judy Rosborough. "I never would have expected him to get to go. Ever."
The children were to fly to Florida today and will tour the Disney theme parks through Saturday. They will have private parties at the Magic Kingdom and the Disney-MGM Studios theme park and participate in a parade.
Sunday, they will attend a ceremony at Epcot Center, proclaiming National Children's Day, before heading home.
by CNB