Full Show PT 3: Monday, February 23 - BBA EDITION

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show – Full Show PT 3: Monday, February 23, 2026 – BBA Edition

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is a heartfelt broadcast from Burt’s Big Adventure (BBA) 2026, a longstanding tradition where the Bert Show crew, families, and children facing serious illnesses share laughs, adventures, and moving stories during a magical trip to Disney. The cast welcomes kids, siblings, and parents, spotlighting their courage, resilience, and the special bonds formed during the trip. The show delivers moments of celebration, humor, and deep emotion, focusing on living in the now, the power of community, and cherishing every moment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trip Appreciation & Partnerships

[01:32–03:42]

• The Bert Show expresses deep gratitude to Endeavor Air for providing flights, highlighting the unique and enthusiastic support shown by the airline and its staff.
• Flight crews are volunteers, selected through a competitive, heartfelt process including an essay about why they want to participate.
• Notable moment: Lighthearted banter about humorous flight attendants and pilots in costumes, reflecting the trip’s joyful, inclusive spirit.

“Endeavor Air has been such a gift to us for all these years… And they only—they don’t just give us the plane, they do it enthusiastically.” – Burt [02:27]

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2. Rowan’s Family: Perseverance in the Face of Illness

[04:00–14:43]

• Burt and Kristen interview Rowan, a 12-year-old on his 4th round of daily proton radiation, and his family (parents Charlyn & Bob, brother Jacob).
• Rowan demonstrates empathy, bravery, and kindness, helping younger participant Asher face his fear of large costumed characters.
• Intimate family moments are shared, including playing chess in hospital rooms and supporting one another throughout the trip.
• The family reads a moving letter to Rowan, recognizing his perseverance, kindness, and the joy he brings others.
• Emphasis on “living in the now” and cherishing small moments.

“Your enthusiasm is infectious, your love for others is inspiring, and your unearthly endurance is astounding.” – Charlyn (Rowan’s mom, reading letter) [10:23]

“Hospital time is like on a different temporal plane from anything else… Rowan is an avid game player, which means we get to spend quality time… he beat me at chess at age six.” – Charlyn [13:02]

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3. Gunner’s Family: Independence and Future Planning

[17:11–25:46]

• Gunner’s story highlights the importance of not underestimating the abilities of kids with disabilities.
• Gunner participates actively, including swimming and rides, and works in the family lawn care business (3G Lawn and Landscape), which his father Gary built in part to ensure Gunner’s independence.
• Gunner’s mom Michelle reads a touching letter about Gunner’s uniqueness, health struggles, family resilience, and the joy of seeing him “just be a kid” during the adventure.
• Celebrates the bond and positive influence among “the wheelie gang”: Gunner, Forest, and Sebastian, whose friendship sets a joyful, inspiring tone for the trip.

“Do not underestimate kids that are in wheelchairs… Gunner handles his business, man, he does not need any help.” – Burt [17:19]

“You are stronger than you know, braver than you think, and more loved than words could ever fully explain.” – Michelle (Gunner’s mom, reading letter) [23:30–25:36]

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4. Manny and Lainey’s Family: Sibling Support, Self-Love, and Levity

[26:02–35:44]

• The segment centers on Manny (with Trisomy 21 and congenital heart disease), his sister Lainey (a cancer survivor), and their bustling, supportive family.
• Manny’s confidence shines during a “prince transformation” at Bibbidi Boppity Boutique.
• Focus on the vital but complex role of siblings—older sister Mari describes how she helps and leads her siblings and shares what it’s like being both role model and emotional backbone.
• Family humor is highlighted as a means of resilience, with fart joke tales providing a lighter, joyful spirit.
• Mother Beth reads a letter expressing gratitude for the life lessons her children teach her through their challenges and triumphs.

“Parents are supposed to teach their kids, but Laney and Manny, you have taught me… how to be patient, have the greatest faith, resilience, and that you can achieve any goal as long as you believe in yourself.” – Beth (Manny & Lainey’s mom, reading letter) [34:35]

“That’s Manny the man, right there… had to keep my eyes on him because he a little too close to my fiancée!” – Burt [26:40]

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5. Brooke’s Family: Facing Fears, Sibling Bonds, and Triumph Over Illness

[39:29–49:54]

• Brooke and her family (mom Ashley, dad Jason, sister Eliza) share how listening to the Bert Show brought them comfort during Brooke’s leukemia treatments.
• Brooke experiences her first-ever flight and braves Disney rides, including the daunting Tower of Terror, supported by an encouraging family.
• The parents read a deeply emotional letter to Brooke, chronicling the fear, hope, and ultimate triumph of her cancer journey—and the special closeness between the sisters.
• The theme of “the smallest person being the strongest in the room” becomes a cherished phrase on the show.

“Brooke, you taught us what resilience looks like… what faith looks like… that even the smallest person can be the strongest in the room.” – Ashley & Jason (Brooke’s parents, reading letter) [45:08–49:54]

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6. Reflections on BBA 2026: Community, Connection, and Living in the Now

[51:11–53:41]

• Burt and Kristen reflect on the growth of the BBA community—how friendships, sibling support, and shared moments have reached “the next level” this year.
• Emphasis on gratitude toward the families, volunteers, donors, and radio partners who make the trip possible.
• A call for listeners to reach out to loved ones, inspired by the connection and support witnessed during the adventure.
• The show ends in trademark Bert Show fashion—with a very loud OLE from the group, refusing to keep the joy contained.

“For me, this trip, again, was all about focus and living in the now… I put my phone down and really just watched this year… it was really, really a beautiful thing.” – Burt [51:17]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Inspiration:

  “The smallest person could be the strongest in the room. That’s awesome.” – Burt [52:24]

• On Parenting and Letting Go:

  “I want to be there and be his support person and keep him safe. But I also know that he has to learn how to navigate life on his own.” – Michelle (Gunner’s mom) [18:24]

• On Sibling Support:

  “You could be the older sister that says ‘get out of my room,’ but instead you share your space and heart.” – Kristen to Mari [31:40]

• On Community:

  “It’s like you guys couldn’t have handpicked people better... this whole entire group has been curated to make sure we put our server hearts forward.” – Kristen [40:57]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Endeavor Air Thanks & Light Moments: [01:32–03:42]
• Interview with Rowan & Family: [04:00–14:43]
• Letter to Rowan: [10:19–12:43]
• Gunner’s Story, Family Business: [17:11–25:46]
• Letter to Gunner: [23:30–25:36]
• Manny & Lainey’s Family, Sibling Dynamics: [26:02–35:44]
• Letter to Manny & Lainey: [34:35–35:31]
• Brooke’s Family, Emotional Letter: [39:29–49:54]
• Final Reflections, Community Bond: [51:11–53:41]
• Ole! Group Cheers: [52:30–53:41]

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Summary Tone & Atmosphere

The entire episode is authentic, emotional, warm, and filled with laughter. The hosts act as heartfelt narrators—sometimes teasing, often reflective, always supportive. Each family’s segment is a mosaic of vulnerability and resilience, with humor providing relief and hope throughout.

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Takeaways

• Community Strength: The collective bond between families, staff, and volunteers fosters profound healing and joy.
• Sibling Leadership: Older siblings often play unsung hero roles, providing stability, levity, and love.
• Living in the Present: Despite challenging circumstances, families model living fully in the moment and finding joy where possible.
• Impact of Kindness: Small acts—sharing bravery, encouraging someone, lending a smile—ripple out and transform experiences for everyone involved.
• Celebration of Individuality: Each child and family brings a powerful story, reinforcing the show’s message that everyone matters and every journey is unique.

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This summary encapsulates the spirit, stories, and laughter of The Bert Show’s BBA 2026 episode—an uplifting reminder of strength, community, and the handmade joy woven from shared adventures.

Transcript

[Burt]

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You're on the Birch Show.

So in what, little over an hour or so, we'll get back on our very private Endeavor Air flight. Let me tell you, on the way over here, I don't know what that flight attendant's name was, but that's the funniest flight attendant we've ever had on this trip. She's like, we've got salads. I don't know anybody that eats salads, but we got them.

[Kristen]

No, my favorite, because, I mean, farts are funny. I don't care, like, who you are or what age you are.

[Charlyn]

So.

[Kristen]

So she was trying to help everybody with, like, how to deal with the. The pressure on your ears when you're taking off on a plane. Right?

[Gary]

That's right.

[Kristen]

Because, like, I know for Brooke, for instance, it was her first time ever. Like, that was her first flight. So this is like an incredible experience. Like, right one right after the other. And so she's telling everybody, like, yeah, you can chew gum. And again, this is the flight attendant over the speaker, and she goes, or you can take big gulps of air, but. But you're going to fart. Take big gulps of air, but just know you're gonna. You're gonna fart. And we're like, woman, she's amazing.

[Burt]

Look, Endeavor Air has been such a gift to us for all of these years. I mean, if we don't have somebody that says, hey, here's a plane that's me begging you guys more and more and more for so much more money, and Endeavor Air donates that plane to us, and they only. They don't just give us the plane. They do it enthusiastically. And we've told you guys in past years that they're based out of Minneapolis, and a lot of their staff members that are at the airport when we take off on Thursday, they fly down from Minneapolis to just to send us off enthusiastically. Then they get back on their own plane and they head back to Minneapolis. And it'll be the same when we get back to Atlanta today.

[Kristen]

And I think it's important to mention, too, for the pilots and the flight attendants, everybody volunteers their time, so they actually have to fill out a form and they submit an essay as to why they want to be a part of the Burt's Big Adventure flight. And they get hand selected by Endeavor Air, and it's like, it's. It's a. It's a coveted. It's a coveted spot to be on that plane with us. And they really. They put their heart into it.

[Burt]

Didn't our captain coming over here have, like, a goofy hat on?

[Kristen]

He did.

[Burt]

You don't see that often.

[Kristen]

I don't. Not gonna lie, seeing your pilot wear a goofy hat, slightly concerning. But then at the same time, I'm like, okay, he's just. He's he's just embracing.

[Burt]

If you take the flight seriously, we're all gonna be okay. All right. So thank you to Endeavor Air for all of these years. We really, really appreciate your sponsorship and the care and love that you give to these guys. And what a great way to start every year. All right, let's introduce you guys to Rowan and his family, Charlyn and Bob and Jacob. How are you guys this morning?

[Charlyn]

We are well.

[Burt]

Yeah.

Great.

What a weekend, huh? Yeah.

[Charlyn]

Days are so long, and yet it feels like yesterday we were just meeting you and high fiving it does.

[Burt]

It goes by fast and slow at the same time. Before we even get into this, I need to launch a bit of an investigation here because we've done this for 24 years. That's a lot of kids on this trip. There's a lot of siblings on this trip, and we're. When you ask kids, what do you want to do when you get to Disney World? Space Mountain, meet the princesses. I have never, ever, ever in 24 years. And I think Kristen can back us up on this one also. She hasn't either. No kid has ever said, I want to go to this enchanted tiki room. And, Rowan, I, I. I am asking you for honesty now before I put Seth here on the spot, was that your idea, or did Seth push that on you? I was just getting a little tired, so I decided that I'd like to have a little break or whatever, you know?

[Kristen]

And Tiki room sounded like the perfect spot for a break, right?

[Burt]

Yeah, it is a great place for a break because there's really. It's really not fun, and there's just not a lot to do there. All you're sitting in is a room with robotics from, like, the 1960s. But Seth, this is, like, right down his alley. Well, thank you for noticing. You're very subtle about it. No, I appreciate the Disney classics. You know, if we're in Tomorrowland, I'd like to stop into the Carousel of Progress or over in Frontierland. You got the hall of the Presidents, one of the magical moments of. Of the Disney trip. I mean, he has his own tiki, sort of fantasy land in his own backyard also.

[Gary]

Yes.

[Burt]

This is his theme. So when you said you wanted to go to Tiki Room, I heard the words coming out of your mouth, but I thought they were planted by Seth.

[Charlyn]

You may have been inspired, honey.

[Burt]

Subtly inspired.

[Kristen]

Not coerced?

[Charlyn]

No, inspired.

[Burt]

Subliminal.

Bob, what'd you think of the trip this weekend?

We had a great time. It's a terrible way to have to get to go to Disney, but we're thrilled that we got to go, and. And we're honored that we got to spend this time this weekend with Rowan having a great time, smiling and enjoying himself and being with other people.

Yeah, you got a great family, Jacob. I gave you one assignment, and you bailed on me, man. I gave you one thing to do.

[Charlyn]

Conscientious reasons. He didn't want to lose the glasses.

[Burt]

His face is a little small. He was afraid they would fall off.

[Charlyn]

He was afraid they would fall off.

[Burt]

So we get over to the Tron ride, and I see all four of them, right? And the one thing I'm not doing this year is getting back on Tron, considering I almost puked on it. Last year. So. No, no, no.

[Kristen]

You really are getting soft after, you know, ever since you retired.

[Burt]

I have retired from two things. The Birch show and rides roller coasters. Right. And there is nobody that can sway me off of that this year. Right. So I get to the Tron ride and there these guys are. And Rowan's like, you know what? I'm gonna take this one off also. And I'm like, you are the smartest kid on this trip, Rowan. I'm gonna hang with you. And I have these meta glasses, which are sunglasses, but they have a camera in them also. So they take video and they take pictures also.

[Charlyn]

So.

[Burt]

So I said, jacob, because I'm not going to go on this ride. Will you do me a favor and put the metaglasses on and record the ride for me? And he's like, oh, yeah, no problem. So they go on the ride and they're screaming and having a blast. And I get back up and I'm like, jacob, where are my glasses? Like, I don't have them. Mom, you want to take them from here? That's really what he said. He's like, mom, at the very last minute, he's like, I'm not doing this. I'm afraid they're going to fall off my face. Here, you take the game on.

[Charlyn]

Mission accepted.

[Burt]

Game on. It was great, and you did a great job.

[Kristen]

I felt like I went on the ride just watching the video.

[Burt]

Yeah, right.

[Kristen]

I got a dote on Rowan really quick because your heart is so big and you are so kind. So again, Rowan is 12, and I was with Asher, who was 5. So we have the oldest of the group and the youngest of the group. And Asher was very scared of the characters. Of course, we have characters at every single breakfast and dinner and. And Asher told me, like, with that five year old thought process, they're just so big. They're supposed to be small because he sees them on his little TV and he sees them on his screen. They're just so big. So he was really, really scared of the characters. But when Asher was in the hospital, when he had his hospital stay for all of his treatments and chemo and radiation, he watched Chip and Dale, Rescue Rangers. Like the old 90s. Like 90s Rescue Rangers, chip and Dale. That was really bad. Sorry.

[Burt]

What a gift you have.

[Kristen]

I know. And so Chip and Dale came to our pajama party. They were dressed in pajamas. It was so stinking cute. And you could tell, you could tell Asher wanted to go up to him, but he was still so, like, nervous and scared. Because they are so big. And Charlyn was sitting there and Rowan was sitting there, and sweet little Asher turned to Rowan. He goes, well, I'll go if Rowan goes. And Rowan looked at him, he's like, come on, buddy. So the two of them went over there, and because Rowan was brave enough to go see Chip and Dale, he got Asher to find his brave, and they got to get their Chip and Dale picture. So I wanted to say thank you very much for doing that. That was very sweet.

[Burt]

That's a really special thing, and that probably comes, like, second nature to you. That's in you. But I also want to let you know that's a really special thing you did for that kid this weekend. And we saw that time and time again on this trip. We keep saying it. And I was really nervous going into this weekend. This is the most boys we have ever selected for Burke's Big Adventure. So I was just assuming that this was going to be a four or five day wrestling match. Like there wasn't going to be a lot of heart in it. I was convinced that nobody would be on the dance floor when we had the dance party, because you know what? Boys don't dance. And then at the pajama party, I was sure this was just going to be like a tag team wrestling match. I was so incredibly wrong. I think the boys made this a very special trip this year in the way they helped each other out. You know, they were boys at the end of the day. But the bond and the helping of each other is something pretty unique between the kids this year. And Rowan, you are a great example of that. So thank you for doing that. Appreciate you, man. All right, Charlyn, so you have the Burt's Big Adventure letter. You want to read it?

[Charlyn]

Bob and I were wondering if we could tag team.

[Burt]

Of course.

[Kristen]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Charlyn]

Okay, then I'll lead on. Dear Rowan, we watched you experience joy and share your precious heart with others over the course of this magical week. Your enthusiasm is infectious, your love for others is inspiring, and your unearthly endurance is astounding. You're one of a kind, baby

[Burt]

Rowan. You're always up for a game, even when you don't feel so great. We love how you headed straight for the Jenga set on the floor following the heroes greeting at the Hilton. Your face lit up a galaxy's edge in Hollywood studios, especially when you're putting together your new droid and your deluxe lightsaber Team Jedi. Of course, we thought your face might split when one of your Burt's Big Adventure friends Handed you a full set of hollow chests. Remember, always has to woke you in

[Charlyn]

more than one person fell in love with you. When you became a Burt's big adventure big brother to a younger cancer fighter on this trip, you saw that he wanted to take pictures with Chip and Dale at the slumber party, and he felt too nervous to go alone, so you offered to walk with him and take pictures together. We already knew. You're an amazing big brother with the best little brother. Jacob.

[Burt]

One of your greatest strengths is perseverance, and you certainly showed it this week. Despite being one week into your fourth round of daily proton radiation treatment, you kept up with the BBA group from before dawn to fireworks at Epcot late at night. You used the wheelchair as needed, but there were several occasions in which you pushed Jacob to get in some steps and give his legs a break. You pushed yourself to get into the Guardians of the Galaxy, even though you weren't sure if it would make you throw up. Thankfully, it did not, and it seemed like that ride is a fan favorite of the whole family.

[Charlyn]

We are so proud of you. You work hard and your kindness is evident to all, all who know you. We're honored to be your and Jacob's parents, and we are so blessed to have been given the incredible gift of this special time together. Love, mom and dad.

[Burt]

Yes. Did a great job.

[Charlyn]

Beautiful.

[Burt]

Sherilyn, I. I'm going to try to ask you to recreate the conversation that you and I had when I was hanging with your family this weekend, and it was centered around really living in the now. How this has just. Absolutely. Your son has made you live in the now.

[Charlyn]

Yes. So hospital time is like on a different temporal plane from anything else. And Rowan is an avid game player, which means we get to spend quality time when we're waiting, if there's an infusion, if there's waking up after surgery, we get to spend that time together. And I mean, when I say he'll play pretty much anything. This kid has learned 500 rummy. He's learned chess. He's.

[Burt]

He beat me at chess at age six.

Is that right?

It's kind of embarrassing.

Is that because he's really good?

[Charlyn]

Because he's so smart? Because he's just so strategically oriented and. Well, it's also because I taught him, honey.

[Burt]

True that. True that.

[Charlyn]

So he was a particularly proud of a moment after the last neurosurgery. He was wheeled onto the room. He was still kind of a little. A little sleepy, still working on the appetite. And I pulled out a little one of those mini versions of Harry Potter chess. And I said, well, while we're waiting, let's just play a game. And I'm thinking about a lot of different things. I'm thinking about the next meds. I'm thinking about the schedule. I'm thinking about keeping everybody posted back home who loves you and cares about you and wants to know. And I'm setting up the game at the same time. And Rowan's like, no, we're playing, mom. Like, it's your turn. It's your move. And that was the first time you beat me at chess. Harry Potter chess. So that is a magical set. Okay.

[Burt]

You guys are fantastic. So fun to hang out with and can't wait to do it more and more and more at our reunions. You guys are definitely part of our family now, so welcome to our family.

[Charlyn]

Thank you. It's a beautiful family to be part of.

[Burt]

Indeed.

I agree with you. All right, coming up in a couple of seconds here, we're going to get Gunner back on here. And I found out this weekend this dude is set up. He's already got a job lined up for later on in life in the sweetest of ways by his dad. Next on Burt's Big Adventure 2026.

You're on the Burt Show.

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[Burt]

Ah, Kristin got carried away again this year and bought an overabundance of souvenirs for each and every one. Kids, that's great. News for the kids. It's bad news for us because now we got no money left.

[Kristen]

Well, you know what's better than one bubble wand? Two bubble wands. You know what's better than one Glow up light stick.

[Burt]

Oh, can I try?

[Kristen]

Yes.

[Gary]

Two.

[Kristen]

Yes. Do you know what's better than one pen?

[Brooke's Parent]

Two.

[Kristen]

A 20. All right, we're doing the little give right now, and Zaxby's is going to match your donation. So you can text Bert B E R T to 50155 or you can go to birdsbigadventure.org and donate there. And, you know, while you're at birds big adventure.org why don't you check out the pictures from every single day we were here at Disney. Our photographers do such a fantastic job capturing those magical moments and those beautiful smiles. And if you donated, go check and see where your money went@birds bigadventure.org all

[Burt]

right, let's introduce you guys again to Gunner and his family, Nicole and Gary and Gavin. Good morning, guys. How are you?

Good.

Again, Gunner is one of these kids, and we said the same thing about forest as well, is that do not underestimate kids that are in wheelchairs. Just absolutely don't do it because if you do, they will kick your butt when they are snowmobiling and he will rob you of your trophy. That's what he does. He's another one of these kids that when he was in the pool the other day, as somebody that doesn't have a child that has a disability, you get a little bit nerve. Overly protective, right. What this kid didn't need was anybody protecting him. He is flipping around like a dolphin. He's handling his. He handles his business, man. He does not need any help. So when you look at somebody in a wheelchair, do not think automatically that they're going to need your help because this kid enforced. And we saw this time and time again. Sebastian, also, no need your help.

[Kristen]

Nicole, I have a question, like, how do you balance that as a mom of a child, child that has a special need, like to be able to sit back and let them show their independence and to not be, like always feeling like you have to intervene.

[Michelle]

It's definitely taken some time because I want to be there and be his support person and keep him safe. But I also know that he has to learn how to navigate life on his own. So it's just like a fine line of, okay, if I'm comfortable and he looks great, we let him do his thing. If not, then I know and his dad knows when we can step in and help him.

[Burt]

Gary, you feel the same way?

Yes. Yeah, for sure.

It's like I think your natural instinct is to want to help out, but in a case like this, you really can't.

[Gary]

Right? Right.

[Burt]

Yeah, I did. When force is in the pool the other night, you know, I was like nervous for him, like, but he's, he's swim man. Like he gets it.

Yeah. You were so nervous that you were throwing him 40ft in the air.

[Michelle]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

Were you just chucking forest in the pool?

[Burt]

Gunner. Gunner just goes for more and more too, you know, like more and more. But he'll let you like up water up my nose. We got to stop you don't take a break.

He was shot putting him 40ft in the air.

[Kristen]

We had, we had a lot of awesome pool parties at the end of our days, didn't we, Gunner? Yeah.

[Michelle]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

Because you know, we have the. Of course we're like, the families can do whatever they want and the parks are great, but some of, some of the core memories end up happening at the hotel pool.

[Burt]

Right. We say this each and every year. Kids just want to go to the pool, pool, pool, pool, pool. We're not going to Disney anymore. We're going to the ymca.

You guys get away with just throwing a big pool party.

The kids will all be happy. So Gunner, I was told by Lala, who I'm going to have tell everybody else that you have something lined up that my kid Hollis does not and that is a job after college.

[Brooke's Parent]

That's right.

[Charlyn]

I was talking with Gary who is dad extraordinaire and he was telling me about how he has set up a lawn care business called 3G Lawn Care and that Gunner is his right hand man already, that he can get out there and Mow the For four hours, a 10 acre plot of land. And I thought this was extraordinary. And he said one of the reasons, Gary said one of the reasons that he did this was so that Gunner would have a business that he could pass down to him. And he said, I don't want anyone to ever doubt that he is not capable and able to do some hard work. And he already is doing it and he's going to be set no matter what he chooses to do. Movie star, YouTube star, mowing the grass. Gunner's got it all.

[Burt]

That's fantastic. That's. I mean, these are the things you have to kind of think way ahead in advance if you're a parent of a child like Gunner also. Right?

Yes.

[Gary]

Yes.

[Burt]

What was your fear There. And why setting it up this early?

So he took to it, like, you know, I put him on the mower with me and he'd just kind of take control. And I'm like, all right, today's your day. You're doing it yourself. And he takes a 60 inch zero turn mower and just takes advantage of it and just goes nuts with it. And he loves it. Like, he knows when he's got a stopping point, if I'm over and get me like, dad, I need my glasses adjuster, my headphones or something, you know, and he just goes about his way. He takes off and I just, you know, see him in a distance, make sure he's good to go.

And at some point or another, this will be his business.

That's the plan, J. I want to hand it down to the boys for sure. You know, he's already got something going for him, and we're establishing our customers. You know, every year it's been great. It's moved along a little ways, you know, year and year after.

[Kristen]

So what's the name of the business?

[Burt]

3G Lawn and Landscape.

[Kristen]

3G Lawn and Landscape.

[Burt]

So it's Gunner, Gavin and Gary.

[Michelle]

Yeah.

[Burt]

Family business already.

[Gary]

I love it.

[Burt]

Michelle, you are supremely impressed and proud of Gunner.

[Michelle]

100%. So, so many times this week you would say, this is the first time I'm doing this, or this is the first time, so. First time on a roller coaster. Correct. Yeah. And it was the second slinky dog, the best roller coaster, and I'm Disney. And also, like, going down the slide at the pool, like, he was hesitant but really got it together.

[Burt]

He did take advantage of the slide.

[Michelle]

Sure did.

[Gary]

Yeah.

[Michelle]

So, so proud of this kid. It was just all week.

[Kristen]

So I'm wondering, Gunner, was it seeing some of the other kids, did they kind of hype you up and make you feel like, oh, if Forest can do it, I can do it too? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Burt]

I love that you guys, you, Forest and Sebastian, you kind of formed, like, this three amigos. Is what we keep calling you guys.

[Kristen]

The wheelie gang.

[Burt]

The wheelie gang. And I feel like the whole trip sort of, like built and it. Your energy together was contagious for the rest of the trip. And I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what made this trip so special. And I think because the three of you guys immediately started hanging with each other, you set the tone for all the other kids and the parents on the trip also, and that's a really, really big deal. I think you Got a couple of friends for life here, don't you think?

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[Gary]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

Now, it was a photo finish at the send off party as to who won the wheelchair race. So I'm going to ask you, Gunner, was it you or was it Forest?

[Michelle]

Me?

[Burt]

Of course it was. Of course it was. What was your favorite part of this trip? Probably swimming in the rides. Swimming in the rides.

[Gary]

Yeah.

[Burt]

Again, why are we coming to Disney? Just the pool. The pool. Go to Lifetime and that's it. Drop them off for a couple hours,

big pool party, let them just hang out.

That's it. Right? Well, we do that.

[Kristen]

Yeah, we do.

[Burt]

Reunion.

[Kristen]

We'll see you this summer at our. At our pool party for our reunion. Thanks to the guest.

[Burt]

Sal and Gunner will be there. Swimmy's on and.

All right. Great. All right, so who wants to read their Burt's big adventure letter? Okay, I'll read our letter.

[Michelle]

Okay. It says, dear Gunner, I want to start this letter out by saying how proud your dad and I are of the young man you're growing up to be. You light up every room with your smile and can turn any bad day around by just being you. The world is such a brighter place with you in it. Before you were born and when we found out about your skeletal dysplasia diagnosis, the doctors told your dad and I that we would have lots of work ahead of us because we were going to be a family with an atypical baby with quite a few challenges. This comment has stuck with me like glue all of these years, but I'm so glad that we didn't get a typical baby because you've taken us on the most magical adventure of life with your uniqueness, and I can't thank you enough for that. Since the first day of your life until now, which has been 3,825 days, you've given all, all of all. No matter how hard things can be, from surgeries and fractured bones to weekly therapy sessions and tons of lab work, X rays and breathing treatments, you've conquered each of those things with so much strength, it makes even the toughest superhero look like a wimp compared to you. We, of course, have had lots of people that have helped get you where you are today, which is healthy and thriving. Our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Mills, Nurse Natalie, all the staff at Pediatric Care, Akron Children's and Promedica Rehab, as well as our amazing friends and family. But enough about them. I want to keep talking about you. Seeing you enjoy this week at Disney has brought me so much happiness. I almost couldn't even put into words how happy it has made my heart. From sliding. I'm sorry. From riding slinky dog, to shopping for all your pins with Dr. Michelle, to zooming around test tracks, splashing in the pool, and making new friends. I'm so glad you were able to experience all the wonders that the world sometimes doesn't allow you to enjoy. I hope this week has been everything you've ever dreamed of and more. Because, Gunner, you deserved every minute of it. And just one last thing. 20 keep being you and changing the world with your loving kindness each day. Dad and I love you. Rock on, dude.

[Burt]

And we love you, too, dude. I just want to let you know that people feel your attitude and they love you, man. You've got something really special, Gunner. Thank you for bringing it to burch big adventure.

[Gary]

Okay.

[Burt]

What an awesome kid. What an awesome family. We love you, man. All right, coming up in a couple of seconds here. I learned a little bit about self love from Manny this weekend. When you watch a of couple kid hug himself in a mirror, you better step up your self love game.

[Kristen]

Are we talking about this prince transformation

[Burt]

at the bibbidi bobbidi boutique, man, he immediately. He was feeling himself as a prince immediately. We'll get into it next on birch big adventure. Listen, it's the birch show. Hey, it is BIRCH Big Adventure 2026 here. We're going to be rolling deep with this family here. Oh, yeah. We got Manny, we've got Laney, we got Beth, we got Olivia, we got Mari, we got torion, we got Enzo. The list goes on and on and on.

[Kristen]

And we have so many people who have stories to share about this incredible family that we ran out of microphones.

[Burt]

I will tell you something about Manny here, man. The confidence on this kid. Whoa.

[Kristen]

Manny the man. That's manny the man, right there.

[Burt]

He is the man. I had to keep my eyes on him because he a little too close to my fiance. Yeah, I got you too, dude. Point at me. I'm pointing at you. He's got the attitude. And I'll tell you what. When we were at bibbidi boppity boy boutique and I didn't realize this until this year. Did they just start this this year with the princess?

They do.

[Kristen]

They've been doing it for a while.

[Michelle]

Have they? They'll do.

[Charlyn]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

For the. For the boys that want to have to have kind of special experience at the bibbidi bobbidi boutique, they'll turn him into prince charming.

[Burt]

So he's already prince charming, and he knows that he was hugging on himself in the mirror before he even became a prince. And then they put a sword and a shield in his hands. And the co confidence of this kid, every time he would raise his sword and everybody in Bibbidi Boppity Boutique would start applauding for him. He was milking it, man. It was fun.

[Charlyn]

Yes, absolutely.

[Burt]

That was a great time there, wasn't it?

[Charlyn]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Burt]

That's one of the. The most special things is watching your kid at Bibbidi Boppity turn into a princess and a prince now.

[Charlyn]

Yes, absolutely.

[Kristen]

He loved it.

[Burt]

So let's talk a little bit about Manny and Laney also. Can you tell everybody why they're bir Big Adventure kids?

[Charlyn]

Yes, absolutely. So Manny is a Burt's Big Adventure kid because he has trisomy 21. He also has congenital heart disease. And Lainey is a Burt's Big Adventure kid because she is a survivor. She's a cancer survivor.

[Burt]

I think this is probably a really great time to start talking about siblings also. Not only our Burke's Big Adventure Kids, but siblings as well, because this family is probably the shining example of a rolling family unit that really helps each other out. And Amanda picked up on it a couple of days also.

[Kristen]

Yeah. So the first time that I really noticed this was with Mari and Inslee in the bathroom at the hotel. And I walked in, you know, it's seven o' clock in the morning at the send off, and Mari has her like blush and glitter out and is basically doing a little salon moment with Inslee with just so much joy and happiness. And I feel like that's something that's kind of been a theme throughout this trip, is we have several older siblings and, you know, these kids are navigating their own challenges and grief from the trauma that they've watched their family go through, but they were still continuously thinking about their siblings. And I saw AJ surprise Aiden and use his gift card to get. And AJ's 18 and he used his gift card to surprise his brother Aiden with a Star wars gift that, like Bert was saying earlier, Aiden wasn't, you know, wanting to buy anything, but AJ knew that he would like that. And so he spent the money on him and these kids and then even Eli and Evan and how they kind of stayed in the background. But they were always smiling when their siblings were. Man, he's distracting me right now.

[Charlyn]

He's so cute.

[Kristen]

They were always smiling and you could just see how much contentment it brought them to watch their siblings experience the joy when they've had to be selfless for years, just out of obligation, because that's just the life that they've been given. So I really have enjoyed watching you guys and just how you support each other and how you could be doing anything else. But you are excited for your. For your siblings. That has to be such a proud mom moment when you see all your. All of your kids taking care of each other like that, and the older siblings stepping up just to make sure that everybody is well taken care of.

[Michelle]

Yes.

[Charlyn]

Everyone has to help out, step in and make sure we have everyone, too.

[Burt]

Head on a swivel to make sure we have everybody. Mari, I wanted you to talk about, like, being a sibling of a child like this also and kind of represent other siblings because it is kind of a tough role sometimes. I mean, you're in the background, but you're also supporting. So can you speak to that? Because you do it so well and with so much grace.

[Charlyn]

Yeah. So I always like to be with my siblings, because since I'm the oldest, this. They like to be like me. So when they want to wear makeup, I give them makeup. When they want to wear my clothes, I let them wear my clothes. Especially Laney. She has a lot of my clothes right now. And then they like to do tik Toks with me. And they still are. They're very energized. So I like to let them get their energy out with me. And they were always. When I. Before I went to college, they were always in my room. They all had, like, a little period where they would sleep with me and sleep in my bed. They like to have sleepovers in my room. They will always be in my bed. Even the times where I left college, they were still in my bed.

[Burt]

This is a very, very tight family. And like Kristen said, you must be really, really proud of all of them.

[Charlyn]

Thank God for Mari.

[Kristen]

Yeah. Because, I mean, you. You easily could have been the. The older sister that was like, get out of my room. Leave me alone.

[Charlyn]

Well, sometimes I do that.

[Michelle]

Okay.

[Kristen]

You're allowed your space, baby. You are allowed your space.

[Charlyn]

That's only when they're too energized for the wild child Inslee. Other than that, Manny, Laney, Inslee, they all come in my room. They all have time with me. We play.

[Michelle]

I love that. Yeah.

[Burt]

I almost started crying this weekend on a bunch of different occasions. The first one was with Olivia, though, when we were walking out of Bibbidi Boppity Boutique, and you gave me that big grandma hug, and you started crying, and I'm like, Don't you do. It's too early in the trip.

[Michelle]

It was not too early. It was too early for you to start it. But it was so awesome. It reminded me of prom, of getting ready for a wedding. It's just a big event. It was so beautiful when, you know, to see how excited Inslee and Elaina were. They were just so excited. And it was just like somebody being excited to get married or go to the prom. And it was so special. I love it. I'll remember it. And I thank you a hundred times.

[Burt]

What else did you see this weekend from a grandmother's standpoint?

[Michelle]

Oh, I was really surprised at how they enjoyed the roller coasters. Not Mari and Torian, but the little ones. Elena, she has so much fun on roller coasters. I don't know where they get that from.

[Kristen]

She's like, you don't get it from me. But Laney, what was your favorite part of Disney? The ride.

[Charlyn]

The.

[Kristen]

Right. Did you have a favorite ride?

[Charlyn]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

Which one?

[Charlyn]

So we did like Trons and the Slinky Dog ride.

[Kristen]

Oh, the Slinky Dog ride.

[Burt]

Is that one sneaks up on you. Like you think it's going to be like this innocent little kid ride, Toy Story.

[Kristen]

Do you think it's to be.

[Burt]

Yeah.

[Gary]

Yeah.

[Burt]

They should have some kind of warning out there. Like, this is way scarier than it looks like it's going to be.

[Charlyn]

It was fun. We wrote that toy.

[Burt]

Anybody else want to add here to this family? I mean, we all had so much fun. And I feel like you got. It was hard to catch up with you guys at times, cuz you're rolling together as this big group.

[Michelle]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

And you had some serious stamina in the park too.

[Charlyn]

Like, oh, yeah.

[Kristen]

There was not this. There was no slowing this family down.

[Michelle]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

So one of the things I picked up on is Laney tells a mean fart joke.

[Burt]

Okay.

[Brooke's Parent]

All right.

[Kristen]

Molly's pretty notorious around Burt's Big Adventure for loving fart jokes. So Friday night, she had Molly absolutely in stitches. I'm not going to say she was roasting her entire family, but she might have been roasting her entire family along the way. It was pretty epic.

[Burt]

There has to be humor when you have a family this size and going through what they're going through.

[Kristen]

Also, you need that levity for all the hard times. Like, you have to find. You have to find the joy wherever you can. You have to find the laughter wherever you can. And that this family does that.

[Burt]

Beth, you have a letter you want to read to your bird's Big adventure, kid.

[Charlyn]

I do. I do. Okay, so it says parents are supposed to teach their kids, but, Laney and Manny, you have taught me. You have taught me how to be patient, have the greatest faith, resilience, and that you can achieve any goal as long as you believe in yourself. See now, Laney, my smart girl, you've taught me it's okay not to be okay. And you don't have to be. And you don't have to hide it. I'm so happy your wish came true to go to Disney. As we approach her eight year anniversary surviving stage four cancer.

[Burt]

Unbelievable. Yeah, yo, and I'm talking about

[Michelle]

Manny,

[Charlyn]

the sweetest guy ever. You've taught me not to take anything for granted, take joy in all the wins, and to enter every day like it's the best day ever. You're both my favorite superheroes.

[Burt]

It's beautiful.

[Michelle]

Thank you.

[Burt]

So glad you guys are part of our family now. Hope to see you guys at all of our reunions where you can hang out more with each other and build on that. That enthusiasm that you guys seem to have for each other all. All the time.

[Charlyn]

Thank you. Thank you so much.

[Burt]

Coming up in a couple of minutes here, we got to get Brooke and her mom on. She made me cry this weekend also, man. And I even told her at the fireworks, I'm like, don't you do it.

[Kristen]

So many happy, so many tears.

[Burt]

This year, it's Birch Big Adventure 2026. This is the Birch Show.

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[Burt]

Burt's Big Adventure 2026 just to break away from Burt's Big Adventure for just one second. So on, we let the families hang by themselves. All right? We have been escorting them and hanging with them for days and days and days. We kind of feel like, you know what? They probably are sick of us.

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[Burt]

So let them go into the parks, and they can go ahead and do whatever they want. And then the Burksburg Adventure staff gets together also. And then we usually go to Epcot and we start working our way around the world. Right. Have a drink here. Have a drink there. So yesterday I thought, you know what? There's so much goodness and so much positive positivity going on on the Birch Big Adventure trip. It's time for some darkness. Okay, so where is this going? And it backfired on me. So we all get together in the usa, had just beaten Canada in hockey in the Olympics. Our first gold medal since, like, 1984 or something like that. So I'm like, you know what? Let's go over to the country of Canada in Epcot and give them a bit of a hard time about America beating them in hockey. Right. It couldn't have backfired. It backfired in the most Canadian way possible. So we get in there, and the guy that's at the front, first of all, I'd never been into Canada in the 24 years we've been doing around the world. You usually just bypass Canada. So I've never even gone into it. Right. We go into. There's like, a waterfall back there, this beautiful rose garden, right? Yeah. Never even seen it. So as soon as we pull up, we start giving the first guy, the first Canadian, a hard time about the game. And in the most Canadian way possible, he's like, oh, that's okay. Congratulations to you guys. What a wonderful game you guys play. Congratulations to the United States of America. So that was no fun. And because we thought we. We have bragging rights for the first time in 40 something years. So then they have this big presentation of Canada, and they are showing you all the beauty right in Canada. And you know who's narrating it? Catherine o'.

[Brooke's Parent]

Hara.

[Kristen]

And we just left National Treasure.

[Burt]

National Treasure. We couldn't even give him a hard time about that. Almost started crying in the middle of Canada, man. Now I know better. No darkness on Virtual Big Adventure. I learned my lesson. All right, so we got to introduce you guys to Brooke and her mom, Ashley and Jason and Eliza. Also, Eliza said that she was. She wants to be the only one talking on this segment. She has been like, I do not want to talk on the radio. How are you guys doing? We're great. Good.

[Gary]

Awesome.

[Burt]

Brooke told me in the beginning of this trip, maybe you want to tell them what you told me. Cuz sometimes I feel like it's unfair. Like I. Sometimes I get love that I want everybody else to feel. What do you mean? When you were going through a really tough time, you were listening.

[Brooke's Parent]

Oh, listening to the Burke show. Oh, yes. Every time. Like when we were going through treatments and having all this dark times, when we would listen to the Burt show and listen to Yalls days and about your pregnancy and all the happiness that brightened our days for those treatments. It was something that me and my husband, on the way to the. To the hospital, we could get our mind off of it just for a little bit. So thank you so much.

[Charlyn]

Compliment.

[Kristen]

Huge compliment.

[Brooke's Parent]

It really did help us also.

[Kristen]

So, yeah, the Bird show is one thing, but Bird's Big Adventure. Did that help get your mind off of everything too?

[Burt]

Absolutely.

[Brooke's Parent]

I'm not. It did, but when it would come off, it would hit so close to home, I would have to, like, change the shit.

[Burt]

No offense. Yeah.

[Brooke's Parent]

But what you guys do is amazing. It's absolutely amazing. I couldn't ask for a better group. Thank you, family.

[Gary]

Yeah.

[Burt]

And that's all because of the staff. And I just want them to really, really feel that not only the Burt show, but the Burke's Big Adventure staff also. A lot of times, I think a lot of people come up to me and thank me, and the truth of the matter is my name's on the T shirt, but everybody else does the work.

[Brooke's Parent]

Oh, yeah.

[Burt]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

Well, Asher's mom, Brianna, was telling me. She's like, everybody just fits so perfectly. Like every single Burt's Big Adventure staff member and volunteer.

[Burt]

It's.

[Kristen]

It's like you guys couldn't have handpicked people better. And I'm like, yeah, they were handpicked. Like, this whole entire group has been curated to make sure that we put our server hearts forward. We are here for the families. We're here for the kids. And that.

[Charlyn]

That was.

[Kristen]

That's like the best compliment we could ever get because this group is very tight, and we just want to make sure that we. We fold you right in.

[Burt]

So Brooke and Eliza, we were all staring at you guys on the flight because it's always something special to watch a Birch Big Adventure kid when they're on their very first flight. So, Brooke, what'd you think of that. That flight, that Endeavor flight. Excited. Excited. Were you scared at all? Not at all.

[Kristen]

She wasn't. She was sitting. Brooke was sitting right in front of me on our Endeavor Air flight. And I, like, my eyes were just on her. And I peeked over and I looked at her smile, and she's taking it. And then we got above the clouds, and she's looking at the clouds, and I tell you, I was watching her, but then I moved over to dad, and your smile was twice as big as Brooke's. Just watching her enjoy her first flight. It was so sweet.

[Gary]

Yeah, she had a great time.

[Burt]

I saw his sunglasses.

[Kristen]

Yeah, you did.

[Brooke's Parent]

It was too bright up there.

[Charlyn]

Yeah, it was okay.

[Burt]

Yeah. Eliza, how about you on that first flight?

[Kristen]

I liked it.

[Burt]

She was asleep.

[Kristen]

That's some sisterly love right there.

[Burt]

So, Jason, what was your impressions of the weekend? You look like you were having a blast.

[Gary]

Oh, we had a great time. I mean, every day was jam packed. And I mean, we had so much more fun than I anticipated. And the staff, everybody that came with us was just like you said, they fit like a glove with everybody. I mean, it was just like it was meant to be.

[Burt]

There was a word that I heard over and over and over again about a bunch of the Burch big adventure kids, but I heard it more than once about Brooke also. And that word was brave and courage. And Lala was hanging out with you guys and she saw some of that also.

[Charlyn]

Totally. And I think we started off in Star wars, and Brooke mustered up some massive courage to get on those Star wars rides with some encouragement from her lovely family. This family is a family that encourages one another. It starts with Jason. He is Prince Charming and the knight in shining armor all wrapped up in one. He takes care of his girls. And Brooke's big sister, Eliza is the big sister of all big sisters. She encourages her sister and supports her. And we got the Slinky dog, and Brooke could see what was ahead of her. And it's a little scary. That's a roller coaster. And Brooke and Eliza grabbed hands and they got on that roller coaster, and, man, when she came off, she was 10ft off the ground. But the problem is, after being 10ft off the ground, what's next? Tower of Terror?

[Burt]

Did you.

[Brooke's Parent]

She jumped from one to that.

[Kristen]

Brookie, you. You did Tower of Terror? What. What was it like?

[Michelle]

Terrible.

[Charlyn]

Terrible.

[Burt]

Totally agree.

[Kristen]

I could have told you that, but you did it, and you can tell everybody you did it.

[Burt]

Yeah, that's what my dad said.

[Brooke's Parent]

Yeah.

[Burt]

And then you could say that you're never doing it again. When I was like, when I was

[Charlyn]

saying, ashley, I don't want to go on this.

[Burt]

See, this old ghost said, there's no way back. Every year there's a kid on the trip that I take pride when I see smiles on their face. And Eliza was at this year. She's tough to break, but when you break her, she's got a great smile. There it is. You can't hide it. You can run and you can hide, but I can see it. All right, which one of you guys want to read your letter to your Burke's big adventure kid?

[Brooke's Parent]

So is it okay if we tattoo you?

[Charlyn]

Do whatever you want.

[Brooke's Parent]

Okay, I'll start off, and I'm not

[Burt]

on the radio anymore. I got nothing to lose. Do whatever you want.

[Brooke's Parent]

Okay.

[Burt]

You want to stay on till 12? It's long.

[Brooke's Parent]

I'm warning you. All right, I'll start. Dear Brooke, from the moment you came into our lives, you filled our world with a light that only you can could bring. On April 23, 2018, when you were just two years old, our hearts stopped in a way we didn't know was possible. That was the day we heard the words no parents were ever prepared for. Your daughter has leukemia. In that instant, our world changed, and we began a journey filled with fear, faith, tears, strength, and more love than we could, more than we knew our hearts could hold. Our sweet little soul at just two years old had to overcome so much more than any child should at that age. At times, we were lost and didn't know what to do. We just prayed and prayed that you would be able to live a normal life after all the treatments. The hardest part for us as a parent is not knowing or being able to control the outcome. Thankfully, some of the hardest parts of your treatment, you were too young to remember. These memories will forever be etched in our souls. From hearing you crying and screaming so loud every time you felt the car into the parking garage at Choa, to us having to lay you down on a hospital bed while you were given the propanol countless times. And you squeezing our fingers so tight with your little hands, having to watch you drift off to sleep for each spinal tap procedure, we cried our eyes out. Every time we had to leave you in the room so the doctors could start. Your favorite part was getting to pick your toy from the treasure box. Afterwards, you were just so small and innocent. There were nights we stayed awake just listening to you breathe, praying, hoping, wishing we could take your place. But even in the middle of all that pain, you showed Us. Something incredible. Courage. Real courage. That kind that doesn't come from being big or strong, but from having a brave heart. And yours, Brooke, has always been the bravest heart we know.

[Gary]

On July 21, 2021, when you rang that bell, time stood still for us. That sound was more than. More than a bell. It was a triumph, A relief and gratitude and victory all wrapped into one beautiful moment. It was the sound of prayers answered, battles fought, and a little girl proving she is stronger than anything life could throw at her. That day, whatever. That day will forever be one of the proudest days of our lives. Your grandparents had a miniature bell made with the date of your final treatment on it that hangs in our living room forever. To remember that glorious day. You may not remember every detail of what you went through, but we will never forget. Not because of the fear of the pain, but because of the strength you showed. You taught us what resilience looks like. You taught us what faith looks like. You taught us that even the smallest person can be the strongest in the room. Now, watching you grow, laugh, play, give your. Live your life in remission. It's a gift we never take for granted. Every smile of yours, it's a reminder of how far you've come. Every laugh, every, is proof of your victory. You are our miracle, our inspiration, our greatest blessing. You are not the only brave little girl in the family. Your sister, Eliza has watched you endure all of this. And through that process, the two of you have become so close. She loves you unconditionally. Eliza has the sweetest soul, the sweetest soul you've ever met. Brooke, we want to always. We want you to always remember this. You are stronger than you know, braver than you think, and more love than words could ever fully explain. No matter where life takes you, your story will always be one of your courage, hope, and victory. We are endlessly proud to be your parents. And we thank God every single day for you. We love you more than all the stars in the sky and more than all the grains of sand on every beach. Love always, mom and dad.

[Burt]

Man, that's beautiful. That was really, really beautiful. And I love this line, too, when you're talking about Birch. Big adventure kids. And this is one I'm going to use quite a bit over the years. The spirit. Smallest person can be the strongest in the room. That's awesome. Thanks for being part of our Burt's Big Adventure family, you guys. Very touched by your family, Very touched by everybody's family. This has really been a special one. I. As I said, earlier today, I was really nervous about this trip having so many boys on it. I just thought it was just going to be a fight fest. And I could not have been more wrong. And the attitude of you guys and the love that all of you guys have had and all the bravery and the courage Brooke like you show every single day is so inspiring to all the adults around you.

[Kristen]

Also, we have a lot of big, loving, kind hearts in this room. And I mean, yeah, it was just. That was so beautifully apparent on this trip.

[Burt]

I just want to express a lot of gratitude again for everybody on this staff that works day in and day out to make sure that this trip is perfect each and every year. To Q997 for allowing us to do it. This is so unheard of. Like, when somebody leaves a radio station, you're basically, you're dead to me. But Q997 has said, look, we're going to support Burt's big adventure for as long as you want to. So thank you for that.

[Kristen]

And to all the listeners who donated

[Burt]

and to all you guys that donated, without you guys, we have none of this.

Zero.

So thank you to you guys also. For me, this trip, again, was all about focus and living in the now. I promised myself at the outset of this trip that I was going to put my phone down and I was going to let the photographers do the job that we don't pay them to do. And I was just going to go ahead and share their photos. And I put my phone down and really just watched this year and I observed. And what I saw was just a bunch of families coming together and supporting each other and sharing with each other in intimate ways that I don't know that I've ever seen. On this trip before, it was next level. Maybe it's happened, but I've been on my phone sometimes taking pictures of other people, so I didn't see it. So to absorb it this year was really, really a beautiful thing. And you guys listening have allowed us to do this for 24 years.

[Kristen]

Yeah, there was. It was the bonding and the connection, the kinship, the friendship that all of these families formed that was just so beautiful to see. So for anybody listening, if there is somebody in your life that you haven't reached out to recently, or if there's a friend that you have on your mind just watching all of these bonds, I think it's really important that you reach out to that person today and tell them you love them.

[Burt]

The smallest person could be the strongest in the room. That's awesome. That's really awesome. Okay. How you want to end this thing this year?

[Kristen]

We're going to end it with an olay. All right. Yeah. So for the families are very well aware of this. We are a loud, loud group. And everywhere we go, every morning in our hotel lobby, we kick it off, off with an olay.

[Burt]

So we're manager this year. Tell us to keep it down. I swear to you. So I think he. It was. He was feeling really good for the payback because somebody was drilling at 5:15 in the morning. So I went to the manager as soon as I got up, and I'm like, we got a bunch of sick kids on this floor. Can you make sure the drilling's not happening at 5:15 in the morning? And he looks through his log and he's like, are you sure that happened n. It's not on my maintenance log. And I'm like, I got four families and a staff member that have seen it.

[Gary]

Right.

[Burt]

So he's like, I'll take care of it. I'll take care of it. And then after we do this olay that you're about to hear, the manager runs up to me and he goes, hey, Bert, can you guys keep it down? Well, we're not sure did.

[Kristen]

We're not gonna keep it down.

[Charlyn]

All right.

[Kristen]

So the loudest mouth of the group. Mr. Zach.

[Burt]

Yeah. Let's go, man. You're our leader.

[Charlyn]

Oh,

[Gary]

birch.

[Burt]

Big adventure 2026. Who? This is the bird show.