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Tourism Whistler, CTV fulfill girl's Christmas wishes

Nine year old and her mother got to go skiing for first time

A nine-year-old girl in the Lower Mainland got her Christmas wish this month with the help of Tourism Whistler and CTV: A family trip to Whistler.

Adrielene Sorian wrote to CTV’s Christmas Wish Series this year, asking for mittens, jackets, warm boots and earmuffs for her extended family.

She also asked to go on a dream trip to Whistler — a place her family had never been before — so her mother could take a vacation from her backbreaking schedule.

Sorian’s mother, Marlina Radaza, works two jobs to make ends meet and doesn’t have enough money — or time — to take any trips. Sorian’s father and brother are still in the Philippines, and Radaza is trying to get enough money to fly them to Canada.

After reading the girl’s wish list, CTV and Tourism Whistler worked together to find hotels, restaurants and other businesses who were willing to help make Sorian’s wish come true.

They were successful.

Between Dec. 12 and 14, Sorian and Radaza got to have their Whistler vacation, which included accommodation, transportation, dining and activities.

The trip marked the first time both the mother and daughter went skiing or sat in a hot tub.

“We are overwhelmed by the support of our members,” said Jeff McDonald, manager of corporate and member communications for Tourism Whistler.

“The calls went out and in no time at all, we had members responding with a resounding ‘yes’ to our request for support. There were so many that we couldn’t accept them all.”

Businesses that stepped forward included Whistler-Blackcomb, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Earl’s Restaurant, ZipTrek Ecotours Inc., Mix by Ric’s, Solarice Wellness Spa, Teppan Village, Squamish and Lil’wat Cultural Centre and Pacific Coach Lines.

The CTV Christmas Wish Series features five stories from inner city school kids who were asked to write out their Christmas wishes. The stories aired on CTV News between Dec. 15 and 19, and the Whistler Wish episode was the finale.