Not many people have traveled more than four million miles, met three United States presidents, had lunch on the terrace of parliament and traveled to outer space aboard the Discovery space shuttle, but Elwood has and he is now in Branson.
Elwood the Dream Character is a creation of Rock Falls, Ill. fifth grade teacher Doug Hand. Hand created Elwood in October 1980. He was made when a parent of one of Hand’s students objected to the class reading Pinocchio, the story about a puppet coming to life and having human dreams. Hand then decided to make something real.
The students in Rock Falls searched the internet for a new place that Elwood could visit and found the World’s Largest Toy Museum in Branson. They wanted to visit the museum but could not make the trip, so they sent Elwood the Dream Character as their representative.
Each year, the students think up new adventures for Elwood and write personal letters to the people they think can help Elwood accomplish their dreams. In the process, they also learn about letter writing, geography, social studies, math and science. They have also learned that even famous people are approachable. It took four years of letter writing to get Elwood’s face on the space shuttle.
Wendy Beck, owner of the World’s Large Toy Museum said she was surprised whenthe Rock Falls students wanted to know if Elwood could come to Branson. “They had found our website and thought this would be a good place for him,” she said. “I think we have him for one more week, then we send him back with a scrapbook of what he did while in Branson. The students will take the scrapbook and learn about all the things Elwood did.” The students will then research another place for Elwood to travel.
Beck said visitors to the museum have noticed Elwood. “We try to tell everyone about him when they come in,” she said. “We find them (visitors) over there studying him and his container that tells about where he has been and who he has visited. They seem to find it very interesting.”
While in Branson, Elwood will meet some performers and maybe star in a few shows.
Elwood has visited 46 states, 14 countries and five continents via United Postal Service (UPS). He has traveled since 1989 in his personalized Rubbermaid container.
Elwood can’t hear, see, walk or talk, yet he has been on major network television shows and radio programs. His story has also appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world.
Elwood helps teach Hand’s elementary students in Rock Falls an important lesson in life: always believe in a dream, have the desire to follow that dream and have the determination to see it through to the end. He also teaches that dreams are the purest form of imagination, and imagination is the key that will open any door. Through it all Elwood smiles, not because of what he has accomplished, but because he has been allowed to follow his dreams and he can teach children that they can make dreams come true.
Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent