Newtown Shooting Inspires Butler Woman to Help

NORTHERN JERSEY -- Miles away from Newtown, CT, a New Jersey resident said she felt personally impacted by the elementary school shooting in which 20 children were killed last month.

Sarah Cox, 22, a substitute teacher in Butler, said she spends a lot of time around children who are similar ages to those who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

"I enjoy working with the younger kids, I love children and I could not believe it," Cox said. "I'm sure everyone in America's heart is breaking for these families."

While Cox has spent some time reflecting on the tragedy, she has also spent time planning for a way to bring some sort of relief to the survivors and their relatives. Cox said she instantly thought of Disney and launched the Dreams for Disney Facebook page.

"I am an avid fan of Disney [World] and we went and we loved it," she said. "It's just an amazing place and I was like, 'Well maybe there would be a way we could send all the kids.'"

Cox is working hard to promote Dreams for Disney and hoping the page becomes viral. At that point, Cox is hopeful a celebrity or national organization, or possibly even the Disney corporation, will catch wind of the cause and decide to fully fund the trips.

"I thought, 'Maybe, if somehow it gets viral, maybe Disney will see it and make it happen for these children since they've gone through so much,'" Cox said.

Cox said she has seen this work before, and referenced singer Taylor Swift agreeing to go to prom with a young man after a viral social media campaign reached her.

"I see a lot of instances where that happened, maybe it could happen this way," she said.

Cox's intention is for at least all of the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School to be sent on a trip to Disney World. Depending on funding, she said she would also like to see the opportunity opened up to faculty members of the school and anyone else in the community who was affected.

So far, Dreams for Disney has 38 "likes." Cox said the more likes and "shares," the better the chance the page will be noticed.

See the Dreams for Disney Facebook page here.