Nearly 500 people attended Kids Can Fly’s 19th annual Storybook Breakfast fundraiser at the Affinity Conference Centre in Brantford on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
The character meet-and-greet breakfast took place across two sittings, accommodating 250 guests each. The event included a buffet-style breakfast, tables decorated to reflect different children’s stories, and eight different imagination stations with corresponding characters and activities for youngsters to enjoy.
Becca McLellan, Executive Director for Kids Can Fly, said the event is all about creating a sense of wonder for the children.
“I love seeing the look on the kids’ faces when they walk into the room because they see all the colours and all the characters, and they’re kind of like, ‘whoa, what is this place?!’” she said. “It’s just so nice to see them taking it all in. We love doing this event because it’s just so much fun for the community.”
From Tinkerbell to Thor, Cinderella, Spider-Man, Olaf, Moana and more, there were around 50 storybook, cartoon and comic book characters traveling around the room, interacting with the children and signing autographs.
Out in the hall, the fun continued as youngsters and their families eagerly lined up to take photos with characters like Peppa Pig and the cast of “Toy Story,” allowing them to take a snapshot memory of their experience home with them.
McLellan said the event is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and that none of it would be possible without their team of dedicated volunteers, but especially their sponsors.
“This year we managed to raise over $33,000 through our sponsorships alone, which is amazing. There were just over 40 of them this year, but some of our biggest sponsors were TD Bank, Sylvan Learning and Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon, Paul Williamson and The James F. Boughner Foundation,” she said. “The money that we’ve raised will go right back into Kids Can Fly programs and initiatives, so that includes everything from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to The Launch Pad, The Parachute Program peer support group for parents and everything in between.”
Cassie Enes, whose four-year-old son, Charlie, has been a recipient of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since he was born, said it was their second time attending the event.
“The first time he was here two years ago, he didn’t really know who all the characters were, but this year, he knows everybody and is getting all their autographs and wants a picture with them; he’s just fully entertained,” she said with a chuckle. “He’s also part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program and we’re big into books at our house, we read every night so this is just right up his alley.”
When asked who his favourite character he got to meet, Charlie excitedly shouted, “Mario!”
Enes went on to say that while her 15-month-old daughter was a little shy to fully interact, she was looking forward to bringing her back.
“I’d love to come back when she’s a little older and know who the princesses are,” she said. “Right now she’s just starstruck and a little shy, so she’s just been staring at them all and dancing on her chair. I think if we give her a year or two, she’ll be right in there getting all their autographs.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
