Going to Disney World

A Lincoln-McKinley Primary School student and his family on Wednesday were given an all-expenses paid week-long trip to Walt Disney World.

Easton Davison has a rare chromosomal disorder and was chosen by Montana Hope Project to be given their charity. He is one of five documented people in the world who has the disorder.

Richard Hader, president of Montana Hope Project and a retired Montana State Highway Patrol officer, travels around Montana to grant the wishes of children with medical issues.

"We're granting a wish to one of the students here," Hader said to students at an assembly Wednesday afternoon. "His wish is that he wants to go to Disney World."

Davison and his family will be visiting the Give Kids the World Village for a week, where they will be able to partake in numerous activities and sights.

"They can pretty much do whatever they want there," Hader said.

Davison was told he was going to be able to go and given a Montana Hope Project "Care Bear" and a camera to take with him on his trip at an assembly of his Lincoln-McKinley peers who were called to the gym to witness the gift.

"It's kind of like a club," Hader explained to the children. "And what we do in our club ... is we go around and we raise money and donate money and look for special kids who might have some problems that they might need help for, and we grant them a wish."

Davison affirmed he was happy he got the trip and was excited to go to Disney World.

Davison's mother, Julie, said they have never been to Florida before, much less Disney World, and that she, her husband, their seven children and their grandparents were all going.

"It's incredible what they do for the kids," she said.

She added that they also got to go the Hope Project reunion in Essex earlier in the summer, where the kids got to go on motorcycle rides and take in the sights of Glacier National Park.

Montana Hope Project has so far granted 381 wishes to Montana children, and Hader said they have granted 15 so far this year.

By the end of the year, they will have granted more than 20, he said.