Meet Macari

Meet Macari! This 16-year-old dreamer is from Charlotte, NC, and has a smile that would light up even the darkest of rooms. Macari is the life of the party wherever he goes and never fails to turn a stranger into a friend.

Macari was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, lives with a developmental disability, and is legally blind in his left eye. These conditions pose challenges in his day-to-day life that his peers do not face. However, Macari’s joy is founded on a positive attitude and a passion for living with a grateful heart. One of Macari’s biggest sources of joy is football! He loves the sport because of the electric atmosphere, the teamwork between players, and the opportunity to cheer on others.

In his free time, you will find Macari at every Hopewell High School football game cheering on his favorite team. Football is a way in which Macari feels he can connect closely to those around him. He has never gotten the chance to attend a college football game, but all that is about to change!

Macari’s ultimate sports dream is to be a VIP at the ACC Football Championship. He dreams of meeting the athletes and coaches of these incredible collegiate programs, along with experiencing the electric energy of the crowd!

Macari's Dream

If Macari isn’t the sweetest, we don’t know who is!

Hopewell High School rolled out the red carpet for Maraci’s Dream send off. Macari was surprised in class as he learned that his Dream started NOW and the celebrations continued throughout the school all the way to the limo.

From here, the family headed to Great Wolf Lodge. Macari LOVES hotels and swimming, so what better place for him to stay the weekend?!

Upon arrival at Bank of America Stadium, the crew received a behind the scenes tour. Macari was able to listen in on the press conference from Lousiville head coach, Jeff Brohm. After the press conference, Macari gifted Coach Brohm his very own Dream It Do It bracelet and wished him good luck for the big game!

Next, he got the opportunity to watch FSU during their walk-thru as they mentally prepared for the championship game. Macari met some of the team including Jared Verse and Keon Coleman. He also gave them coin toss advice (tails never fails)!

The crew headed off for a delicious dinner at Fahrenheit. After dinner, the crew headed to Charlotte Motor Speedway to end the day with Christmas carols and Speedway Christmas!

Game day started off with arcade games and lots of fun at Great Wolf Lodge. After lunch at Bonefish Grill, the group headed Uptown to enjoy Fan Fest. Macari spent some time taking fun group photos with the ACC photo props. After, he danced his way over to the DJ booth where Macari and his family were able to pick out some merch for the game and the dancing continued.

After the crew was decked out in their game day apparel, they made our way over to the stadium for sideline action where Macari got to fist bump players and wish them all good luck! Wide receiver, Keon Coleman even remembered Macari from the day before and came over to give hugs, say hello, and take a few pictures.

Then came the mascots. EVERY mascot from the ACC. All of them knew Macari by name and loved him so much! They made him feel so special with lots of hugs, photos, goodies to take home, and even dancing with him on the sidelines!

Next was the coin toss, which was so surreal. Macari joined the captains from both teams on the 50 yard line as the official honorary captain. They even called tails, just as they promised him the day before, because in Macari’s words, tails never fails! He was so overjoyed to be included by that special group of men, his smile shined bright for the remainder of the night because of how happy he felt. The ref even let Macari keep the coin from the toss!

The overall experience of the weekend made Macari feel so loved, and his smile radiated all weekend filling every room with instant happiness! Macari definitely had a dream come true!

Thank you to our sponsors, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Mansfield Family Fund. Also, thank you to our referral partner Easterseals.

Dream Snapshots