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Two girls bound for Disney World Volunteer work wins `Dream' trip Two local girls are among 2,000 youths worldwide who won a free trip to Walt Disney World Resort for their community service. Sponsored by McDonald's and Disney, the Millennium Dreamers program recognizes 8- to 15-year-old children who made a difference in their communities. The local winners are Ellie Drosdick, daughter of Danielle Drosdick of Central Point, and Kelli Abbate, daughter of Gigi and John Michaels of Medford. Each girl wrote a 200-word essay about her accomplishments. The girls were chosen from among 10,000 applicants. They will fly to Florida for three days this week. Ellie, 12, was recognized for her efforts to recycle hundreds of phone books during the last three years. The idea came to her when her school, Jacksonville Elementary, asked students to bring in books for recycling. "She's just kind of a helping kid," said Ellie's mom, Danielle. "I mean, no one makes you get more than two phone books." Ellie first heard about Millennium Dreamers when she saw the entry forms when she was visiting a McDonald's restaurant. "I thought I'd just give it a try; I didn't expect to win," she said. Kelli Abbate, a 16-year-old student at South Medford High School, was recognized for her numerous hours of community service. She volunteered as a child care worker in various programs and painted low-income housing apartments with West Medford Community Coalition. Her mother is the group's coordinator. Organizers say the trip gives participants a chance to share their stories with others from around the world. They also will participate in an interactive symposium presented by the Disney Institute. Millennium Dreamers, in association with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, includes more than 90 countries. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA