Roughly a decade since he first appeared in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed children's television show "Hang on to the Dream," actor, producer and broadcast journalist Christopher Ewing has not lost sight of his own dreams.

The Troy resident - who has appeared in network soap operas and television talk shows - has rekindled a long-held desire to help inspiring and exceptional children overcome obstacles standing in the way of their most passionately-held goals.

"You can pick up a newspaper anywhere in the country today and see that kids are losing hope," Ewing said.

"These are kids who are otherwise talented artists, musicians and athletes or have other kinds of dreams. You can either support them or you can let them wither on the vine."

Determined not to let kids down, Ewing created the Troy-based, nonprofit Hang on to the Dream Foundation. The organization has initiated a 10-city national tour in search of dedicated and talented kids struggling to do remarkable things.

"When you meet so many kids that do cool things, you can't help but think, 'What if this kid only had this or could do that? How far could they go?' " Ewing said.

"Their dream doesn't know that it doesn't have the money or the opportunity."

One exceptional youngster Ewing met and had a chance to help is Allen Park resident Josh Pobursky. After having both his feet amputated as a baby, Josh shattered doctors' expectations by not only learning to walk, but also to skate and become an exceptional hockey player.

Hang on to the Dream helped Josh realize his hope of gleaning a few skating tips from former Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy. The organization sent him to a three-day hockey camp run by the former National Hockey League star.

"(Roy) basically did everything short of throwing a ticker tape parade for him," Ewing said.

Detroit is one of the 10 cities where Hang on to the Dream will host live shows designed to find similarly inspiring stories. The productions profile both the talents and challenges of inspirational youngsters and introduce a few uplifting surprises.

Details on the time and location of the Detroit visit are presently in development, but Ewing expects the event will take place within the next few months.

The tour is designed not only to attract individual, foundation and private-sector contributions to Hang on to the Dream, but also to find stories for future television broadcasts.

Ewing said that with the success of countless reality television shows these days, his show is sure to find a receptive audience in a number of television markets across the country.

"This is the ultimate form of reality. These are real kids with real dreams who face very real challenges and obstacles," he said.

"People have been haunting me with the idea (of bringing his late-1990s television show back) because there's nothing but garbage on television. They've said, 'We really need something positive for kids on television.' "

The Hang on to the Dream Foundation is headed by a board of directors comprised of psychologists, teachers and business leaders. The organization dedicates 100 percent of donor support to helping youth achieve their goals.

Support for kids comes in the form of educational scholarships, equipment or supplies they might need or opportunities to advance their talents and goals.

Potential donors to Hang on to the Dream and individuals who'd like to share stories of inspirational youngsters they know are encouraged to visit the organization's Web site at www.hangontothedream.org or call (866) HANG-ON-1.