Lorraine Allen, 79, was born and raised on Cape Breton Island. She is the mother of four children who think the world of her and is known to be selfless, giving, and she plays a significant role in her family. Music has gotten Lorraine through many moments, which always brings her great joy and peace. Her favorite artists are Bill and Gloria Gaither, two Christian singer-songwriters, who she’s been watching on TV for as long as she can remember every Friday night on the Vision channel. When she’s not watching them on TV, she has their CD playing regularly. From the moment she first saw the Gaithers traveling the world on one of their homecoming tours, Lorraine dreamed about how wonderful it would be to have the opportunity to go on an adventure like that while listening to the gospel music she has grown to love so deeply since her husband’s passing.

Lorraine’s dream finally came true when we granted her wish to attend the Gaither Homecoming Alaska Cruise, where she experienced a lot of “firsts.” She got on a plane for the first time, went on a cruise ship for the first time, and saw the Gaithers play live, along with many other of her favorite musicians. Lorraine had the trip of a lifetime alongside her son, Tom, stating as she held back tears, “it’s more than a dream come true; it’s a little piece of heaven.”