A woman battling cancer received the gift of a lifetime by being able to meet country superstar Blake Shelton backstage before his concert at the California Mid-State Fair on Sunday night.
Landy Ponce was able to meet-and-greet with Shelton before he took the stage at the Chumash Grandstand Arena after being given tickets and backstage passes to the show by Dream Makers, a local non-profit organization based in San Luis Obispo County.
Dr. Ronda Beaman presented the tickets to Ponce on Wednesday, July 10, during Coast 104.5’s “Up and Adam” morning program.
“You’re actually going backstage to meet Mr. Blake Shelton,” Beaman said as applause filled the studio Wednesday morning.
“It was really bad to hear that, but at the same time it was good because they found it,” Ponce said. “I think about my family and I decided to be strong for them.”
Ponce was joined at the radio station by her husband, Chris, and her son.
She was recently introduced to Dream Makers, a nonprofit that creates unforgettable experiences for people battling terminal illnesses, through her oncologist, Dr. Thomas Spillane.
“Nobody asks for anything just for themselves,” Beaman said. “They want to share a dream that they haven’t been able to make come true with somebody that they love.”
Dream Makers creates the ultimate experience for their applicants.
“It gives the dreamer something to think about besides being sick, then it gives them something to look forward to,” Beaman said.
In Ponce’s case, she received new clothes from Ambiance and Office Hours, will be picked up in a limousine, get her hair and makeup done, have a catered dinner with her family from Blue Moon Over Avila, attend the Blake Shelton concert with her family, and get to meet the country music star.
Ponce says she’s been a Blake Shelton fan for a while.
“Thank you every single person, they made me feel special, and I hope that one day, people that have cancer don’t feel lonely, they can feel the love everywhere they are,” Ponce said.
Dream Makers has been operating for only two-and-a-half years and has granted approximately 20 dreams. Plus, 100 percent of donations received go to their recipients.
Dr. Erin Lindvall, an executive board member and lead dreamer for Ponce’s dream, says the organization is a grassroots effort.
“To be someone who participated and had something to offer on any level to say, I got to help in that way, you feel something that you can’t duplicate,” Lindvall said.
For more information on Dream Makers, click here.
