BY DC CUEVA
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| Instagram @ElenaDavies |
But sometimes - and taking the examples led by two of MTV Reality's most beloved figures in the late Diem Brown and Pedro Zamora, there is power in when reality stars can use their star power, or some variation of it, to help advance a cause and make a difference in people's lives. Few things are as powerful as when some of the most incredible personalities in reality television getting the chance to meet those who don't have to be the most die-hard fans of these shows, but just them being touched by their appeal, which can beat out even the most jaw-dropping moments of any show in terms of their personal and lasting impact.
Earlier here this week, we showcased social influencer and a voice of disabled people in this country, Damion Gross, meeting Dondre Randolph of The Real World Atlanta during what's been an amazing summer for him. And also this summer came the 11th annual edition of what's become a summer's reality tradition: stars of the genre getting together in the most-visited tourism destination in America for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, on a yearly basis, to bring smiles to some of the most inspirational people they have ever met. It's a weekend-long event called Hearts of Reality... an event so big in this community that those who are exes, enemies and friends can all come together for such a worthy cause. And the place where it all happens came about by one's experience of never getting a chance to fulfill one's lifelong dream.
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| Give Kids the World (GKTW.org) |
More than 30 years ago, Landwirth's idea became a reality when Give Kids The World Village opened its doors for the first time. Located not far from the Walt Disney World Resort, The Village encompasses 84 acres with all of the amenities that a major resort destination can offer: entertainment attractions, fancy venues in a storybook setting, fun activities for kids of every ability, villa accommodations, and everything else in a weeklong vacation experience that is offered to families cost-free. Transportation, meals and tickets to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and other Florida attractions are also offered... and GKTW has welcomed more than 150,000 families from all across the U.S. and nearly 80 countries.
In 2009, many reality television stars got together in Orlando to host the first annual Hearts of Reality fundraising event for Give Kids The World Village, an event that also helps to raise the awareness of the many tourist attractions in Central Florida -- not just Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld but also the nearby Celebration Town Center. The event lasts for three days in early August every year, where those from Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race and other reality series join together to help raise money for GKTW... an effort that begins months before they gather in Florida.
This year's event took place August 8-10 in Orlando, and over 100 reality stars came together for the 11th annual Hearts of Reality weekend. It would be an impossible task to make mention of every single person who came to this year's festival... though this list at the GTKW site will make up for it - but the vast majority of this year's invitees come from the CBS reality roll call.
As this year's Hearts of Reality took place, executives from CBS Corporation and Viacom were meeting behind closed doors to finalize the company's expected re-merger that was made official the following week. And of note for those who follow MTV Reality, both those from The Challenge and those who've joined them from other series into that show (including their soon-to-be teammates under the same ViacomCBS corporate umbrella) have taken in this unique experience. Deena Cortese-Buckner from Jersey Shore and Road Rules & Challenge OG Mark Long are regular attendees to Hearts of Reality... and Cara Maria Sorbello got to attend the 2015 & 2017 events before and after she became a Challenge champ for the first time.
Most of those who have made the walk across the street from CBS to MTV for The Challenge and Ex On The Beach prior to the merger have made one or multiple treks to Orlando: Julia & Liz Nolan, Da'Vonne Rogers, and Natalie Negrotti. And for this year's event, four of those with ties to MTV shows airing this year were on the roster: BB19 champ turned Challenge power player Josh Martinez, his BB19 transplants into the Ex On The Beach house Mark Jansen and Elena Davies, and Jay Starrett from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X. And in addition to them, Deena and Mark Long, also joining Team MTV for this experience is Kacy Catanzaro of American Ninja Warrior, and Big Brother 20 champion Kaycee Clark.
Elena's pre-Big Brother radio gig on the morning show of Dallas' KISS-FM (and syndicated to other radio stations) bears the name of Kidd Kaddrick, also had a strong passion for kids with his charity organization Kidd's Kids, which serves as his legacy six years after the DJ's untimely death. It, too, shares the same vision as Give Kids the World, as its mission states "provide hope and happiness by creating beautiful memories for families of children with life-altering or life-threatening conditions," and also offering those in the Southwest trips to Orlando as well. For something that took for a worthy cause for her and her ex Mark to get together again, Elena wrote in her Insta caption, "A bunch of Big Brother legends....and me....raising money with @heartsofreality for @gktwvillage! ✨These people.. This event.. This charity.. AMAZING."
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| Jay (left, from GKTW.org) |
And Kaycee, who won Big Brother 20 last year, wrote, "Such an amazing experience at @gktwvillage this past weekend! Thank you to everyone that has donated to this wonderful Charity that is changing lives of so many kids and families around the world💪🏽❤️ I’m so glad I was apart of this with all my other realty tv friends! Thank you @heartsofreality !" And below, highlights of their experiences.
Kacy Catanzaro / American Ninja Warrior
Kaycee / Big Brother 20
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Lately, one of this blogger's favorite things to watch on YouTube have been live streams from major theme parks, especially Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim. One of the most prominent streamers in the YouTube business, Spokesmayne, is organizing a special all-day mega live stream involving him and some of his fellow live streamers who do regular live streams from the Disney Parks, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and other theme parks. Next Saturday will be "Magic Streamdom" benefiting Give Kids The World Village, with all donations and ad revenue being donated to the community... visit its page at GKTW.org for more info.
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