With itineraries that are fun, adventurous, cultural, and heavy on service, we believe to our core in nominating a deserving individual or family to receive an expedition scholarship for this trip of a lifetime! Thanks to our private donors like GIVE, we are able to take those nominated individual(s) or families on an unforgettable ROAM humanitarian expedition.
In 2012, John and Mimi Mcdonald lost their sweet Mia, a heart-transplant recipient, while on a Make-a-Wish trip to Disneyworld when she was just 4 years old. They have continued to share her love through their #loveformia campaign where they share acts of service, particularly towards young hospital patients and their families. Then in 2020- a year already challenging enough- John was diagnosed with metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer for which there is no cure. Most recently, Mimi’s own heart decided it needed some fixing as her valve wore out, setting her onto the road of a major operation (replacing that valve with a porcine one) and long recovery, all of which she faced with nothing but grace and laughter.
With life’s share of trials dealt their way, John and Mimi have huge smiles, a lively sense of humor, and ability to make anyone feel right at home with them! One would never know how much they have faced. Their amazing village of family and friends bring them so much joy, as does service and traveling, and with Peru at the top of John’s bucket list, the McDonalds received the first ROAM scholarship to this dynamic country. Thanks to our ever generous private donors, a distant, far-off dream became a real reality for this deserving couple as they and their 11-year old Sam joined us for a truly epic trip in November of 2021. They got to ride bikes through the Sacred Valley, touch the ruins of Machu Picchu, set up a water system for a Peruvian family who live atop a steep mountain, go river rafting, and distribute hygiene kits and baby clothing to impoverished families, among other activities. In Mimi’s words, “It was everything we hoped for and more!”
