Two college sophomores, Kylee McGrane and Maggie McAndrew, were home on winter break watching the movie, Frozen. Noting their own resemblance to the princesses in the movie, they asked the question, “What if?” What if we dressed up like princesses and went to pediatric wards at hospitals to cheer up children? Their 2014 conversation turned into action in 2015. The two dressed up like Anna and Elsa and volunteered a lot of their time to visit sick children in area hospitals. “For me, making these lasting connections with kids and their families is super important,” McAndrew said. “We get to make this really awesome, personal memory with the kids, and then, in a lot of cases, the parents keep us updated and we get to keep up with the kids on their journeys.”
Since then, the pair started their own non-profit organization called A Moment of Magic. With the help of their college, the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, New York, they now have 40 volunteers who dress up as princesses. In 2016, these college students reached more than 5,000 children in 2016.
Now college seniors, these two best friends are working with other colleges to help them start their own chapters. The goal is to have superheroes and princesses working across the country to give sick children their own magic moments… to escape the reality of their disease for a few moments… to give comfort and hope. To them, it’s all worth it. McAndrew summed it up when she said, “We thought that this was going to be just something that we did as a hobby for fun — we never thought it would grow to this.”
Joe’s Perspective: Yet another example of ordinary citizens creating a company that combines their two passions in life – in this case princesses and helping children. Mark my words, this will be their careers. The non-profit will generate millions of dollars through grants and donation. They will take part of this money and pay themselves a salary. They will grow this into a movement and you will see sick kids visited by princesses in hundreds of cities within 10 years. Think of the impact this will have on children and families. Enormous. It’s about so much more than the princesses.
Your Turn: Once again, I ask you, what small or big thing can you do to make this world a better place?
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To make this world a better place I can simply spread love. For example by saying good morning, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight. Also by complimenting people on anything.
I strongly agree with your quote. Love does change people and I know it could change the world too.
I think that anybody can make a difference by doing little things like smiling at people and simply being nice.
what I would do is just give out love and smiles. It may be the smallest thing ever but it can brightens someone’s day.
There are many things I can do to make this world better. But is easier to think than it is to act. I can do things that will make the environment better. For instance today, after school, I am going to an amputated veterans house and we are helping him clean because he cant walk and do it himself.
“Onward’s princesses, for children in need, stuck in the beds of hospital rooms need us to empower them, to help them recover and live the dreams they wish to make true!”
Seeing this has reminded me of what we could do to change this world, be it volunteering at a senior center or helping the homeless become successful again. This is what the world needs, and this is truly what the world wants.
To make this world a better place one thing I can do is clean up after school related events. If we have assembly’s or pep rally’s or games I can stick around to clean the bleachers. It will help the custodians.
This is adorable! I love what these girls are doing. I can make a difference by volunteering in some way just like them and maybe it will grow just like theirs did.
both reading and watching the video gave me chills it’s the smallest thing in the world but it may have the biggest impact in the world just to make a persons day a little better 🙂
The things i can do to make the world a better place is by volunteering like how Kylee McGrane and Maggie McAndrew volunteered by going to hospitals and visiting little kids to make them happy or to cheer them up more.I can also maybe make someones day by complimenting them and smiling.I would volunteer at an animal shelter, babysitting, and maybe write to people that i don’t know.The last thing i can do to make the world a better place is by cleaning up the environment like going around my block or neighborhood so that there is less trash everywhere.
You can make kids happy by dressing up as their favorite characters or just pick up trash to make the world clean.
This made me feel happy because once the little kids saw the princesses they were so happy.
Love does change someone and I believe that it could also change the world. And giving someone a compliement could make them more confident about themself!
Honestly, this is beautiful and very inspiring. They’re taking time out of their day so they can see other kids smile and be happy. It truly encourages me to do something to make someone else happy. Thank you!
One thing I could do to make the world slightly better is help around my community and help people in need.
You can do anything just by spreading love, and positivity. Filling the world with love and supporting others for something they’re struggling with can do so much more than you think.