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News, Updates & Opportunities
March 2024
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Miles for Smiles Registration
We need YOUR help to make this event a success! Register to be a part of for the 4th Annual Miles for Smiles 5K. This two-week virtual fundraising event will take place May 17 through May 31.
Our registration site is live using the Pledge It software platform. Your $25 registration also gets you a Birthday Dreams t-shirt and swag bag, to help you spread the word about Birthday Dreams.
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When registering, you will have the option of logging in through Facebook or using email and a password of your choice. You can register as an individual, create, or join a team. So, grab your friends, form a team, and get ready to have some FUNdrasing fun!
To "captain" a team, select the "Create a Team" option and enter your team's name and fundraising goal. Your next step will be to invite family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers to join your team. In addition to the team goal, each individual on your team will have the opportunity to set an individual fundraising goal. Have some healthy fundraising competition within your team and work together to compete against other teams.
Funds raised from this event directly support Birthday Dreams’ mission to bring hope, joy, and a sense of self-worth by providing homeless children with the gift of a birthday celebration.
A big thank you to this year's event sponsors:
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Randall Morris Events
For the third year in a row, Birthday Dreams will benefit from an upcoming slate of events hosted by The Randall Morris Foundation! We are thrilled to be one of the two charities with this honor. The events are as follows:
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June 22: Randall Morris Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament at Mercedes Benz of Tacoma
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September 8: 18th Annual Celebrity Gala & Auction – September 8th at Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Renton
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September 9: Celebrity Golf Tournament at Fairwood Golf & Country Club in Renton
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Additional details, including ticket sales, will be coming soon. Bookmark www.randallmorrisfoundation.org to stay up to date on information as it becomes available. | |
KIXI 880 AM Radiothon
We are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with KIXI 880AM. On Friday, April 26 Birthday Dreams will benefit from a Radiothon Fundraiser on KIXI 880AM. The event is all about helping raise awareness and donations so that kids in need can have the birthday of their dreams!
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The Radiothon will run from 7 AM. to 7 PM on Friday, April 26th. Tune in to hear fantastic music woven into informative interviews with the people working "behind the scenes" with Birthday Dreams. During the day-long broadcast, KIXI 880AM will have open phone lines so that you can call in and share your favorite childhood birthday memories.
Mark your calendars to tune in and participate in this special radio experience! For additional details, visit: www.kixi.com.
Our thanks to the entire team at KIXI 880 AM, KKNW 1150 AM, and Hubbard Radio for the opportunity to get the word out and raise some funds for the homeless children we serve!
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The feedback below was provided by the mother of a sweet three-year-old girl, who, without Birthday Dreams, would not have been able to give her daughter a birthday party.
"My daughter and I have been homeless for 11 months now... catastrophe after catastrophe ... my child wouldn't have had a party if it wasn't for Birthday Dreams. They are truly angels on earth. My daughter seriously had the best day ever. She was over the moon excited. She was able to celebrate her special day with an awesome party and people who love her... Words simply cannot describe what Birthday Dreams did for me as a mother."
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Community Support and Recognition | |
Gameworks Gift Cards
We are so fortunate to have received continued support from Game Works! They donated 200 two-hour gameplay cards for us to include in our birthday packages. This donation is valued at $3,000 and a LOT of our Birthday Dreamers will be able to have a fun time at the arcade this year, thanks to Game Works!
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Other Donations
Thank you to the following organizations for their donations last month:
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Eton School donated over 290 gifts, party supplies, juice, and goody bags which were valued at over $1,975. The items that were donated included art supplies, NERF toy guns, kinetic sand, LCD writing tablets, headphones, and banners, party hats, napkins, plates, tablecloths, and cups.
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Diana Parks ran a pop-up shop in Bothell and when they were closing the doors, they donated the left-over stock! They donated over 140 items which were valued at $945. Some of the items donated were slime toys, board games, arts & crafts sets, stuffed animals, socks, nail polish, and birthday cards.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Renton Stake Relief Society did an amazing community event where they created party hats which we use for the individual parties we send out. We can send as many as 16 hats with each party so we need as many as we can get!
Thank you also to all the individuals who made donations, among them:
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Jill Slabey donated 30 items, valued at over $450. Some of the items donated included beauty care items, wireless earbuds, gift cards, lego sets, and books.
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Tehalen Heights Elementary School donated 100 items, from gifts to party supplies, valued at over $315. Some of the items donated included a Marble Run game, dolls, juice, napkins, plates, tablecloths, cups, banners, streamers, and party blowers.
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Alexa Medhus donated over 25 items, valued at over $450. Some of the items donated included Squishmallows, ELF make-up, art kits, and toddler toys.
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Each month Birthday Dreams receives grant awards from our terrific foundation partners. Without their support, we could not do what we do. Last month, we received grants from the partners below. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity! | |
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PayPal Giving Fund $1,044
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Rotary Club of Renton $1,000
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Kids Coming Together reached out wanting to put together an event where they made a truly personal birthday gift for the children we serve. They were able to create woven, personalized bracelets using the birthday kids’ favorite colors and they also added some extra gifts to each bag. This type of personalized donation is thoughtfully unique, and we hope to see more like it in the future!
Thank you, Kids Coming Together, for your amazing and heartfelt donation!
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Delivery Driver Extraordinaire Gina Myrick
Gina began volunteering for Birthday Dreams in late November 2023 and has been a powerhouse with deliveries ever since. She has made 45 deliveries in just over three months, and everyone is excited to see her when she comes in. Gina’s can-do attitude and upbeat energy are contagious and make her a joy to be around. We're sure that her positive energy is also felt by the families she delivers to.
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When asked what she loves about volunteering she said, “I saw Birthday Dreams mentioned in several communications and knew in my heart that it would be a perfect way for me to give back now that I have extra time. I am a recently retired elementary school teacher, and I really miss working with children. During my childhood, birthdays were always a special celebration, and I have passed that on to my children. I love that I can help in a small way to make birthdays memorable for families in need. I mainly deliver fabulous cakes, brightly wrapped gifts, and other goodies for the birthday child. When I get to meet some of the birthday kids, I love to watch their faces light up when they see their cake and gifts. The parents so appreciate these birthday boxes as well. I receive many heartfelt 'thank yous' from them. I will continue to deliver and work on-site parties as long as I can!
True to her humble and kind nature she went on to say, "I want to give a special thanks to all of the wonderful people working behind the scenes in the office, baking cakes, wrapping gifts, donating, etc. I get to see firsthand how you are making a huge difference in the lives of these children and their families!”
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New Board Member | Hannah Feller
We are excited to welcome our newest board member, Hannah Feller. Hannah brings a lot of energy to our team and no doubt will be a great addition to our Board!
Hannah, a strategy and operations consultant at EY-Parthenon, has a wealth of experience in executing strategic transactions across industries.
Raised in the Seattle area, after graduating from UCLA, Hannah returned and now resides in the Greenlake neighborhood.
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Seeking opportunities to positively impact her community, her natural talent for party planning led her to Birthday Dreams. Hannah started her volunteer work with us baking cakes, before becoming a party coordinator at a Mary's Place Shelter. Seeing firsthand the joy Birthday Dreams brought the children inspired Hannah to get further involved by becoming a board member.
When not working or volunteering, Hannah enjoys exploring Seattle's dining scene, playing pickleball, and spending quality time with loved ones.
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Welcome Christyna Hernandez
Meet our newest staff member, Executive Assistant Christyna Hernandez. Christyna, who joined the team in February, jumped in with both feet and is already a real blessing to our organization!
Raised in a Military household, Christyna grew up living all over the world. In 2015, she decided to put down her roots and purchased a Craftsman house in Kent. That same year she had her daughter, Selena, who is now in 2nd grade.
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Christyna said she was intrigued by Birthday Dreams because she has seen firsthand how kids are affected by changes in their environment. She wanted to be a part of something where she could have a direct positive influence on youth in the community, she now calls home.
Christyna, who began her professional career as a loan officer, says she found her calling when she shifted gears and took a job as an executive assistant. Her experience adapting to frequent moves and creatively balancing the many tasks associated with homeownership while being a single mom is something she enjoys and does well, and that has given her skills that translate well into an executive assistant role. Welcome to the team Christyna.
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Awesome Cakes Delivered with Love | |
A young man celebrating his 12th birthday received this jaw-dropping Legends of Zelda cake made by Annabelle Kisky. The birthday boy also received a Legends of Zelda wallet, wireless headphones, and gift cards to GameStop and Chick-Fil-A, some of which were donated by Angela Pederzani. Everything was delivered by Jim Waugh. | |
A young man celebrating his 18th birthday enjoyed this incredible Rick and Morty cake made by Suzanne Bratten. He also received Chick-Fil-A, Amazon, and Shein gift cards. This Birthday-In-A-Box was picked up from our office by the parent. | |
A four-year-old girl received this beautiful Mermaid cake by Page Monji. She also received gifts including a teddy bear, a Frozen bath set, a Peppa Pig book, an Encanto swimsuit, a Gabby’s Dollhouse plush, a Disney Princess game, hair accessories, a Jojo Siwa toothbrush, and arts & crafts sets. Everything was delivered by Gina Myrick. | |
Pizza Cake by Chris Wells | |
Mickey Mouse Cake by Glynda Steiner | |
Cocomelon Cake by Cathy Footer. | |
Volunteer Orientation and Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering for Birthday Dreams or participating in community service projects / team building events, please email our Volunteer and Community Event Coordinator Tabitha Amoroso.
If you are a new volunteer, sign up to attend a brief in-person or virtual orientation by emailing Tabitha as well. In-person orientations are generally held on the 2nd Saturday and 3rd Tuesday of every month, and the virtual orientations are generally held on the 1st Tuesday and 4th Saturday of every month.
- Tuesday, March 19th at 6-7pm – In-Person
- Tuesday, April 20th at 11am-12pm – In-Person
- Saturday, March 23rd at 11am-12pm – Virtual
- Tuesday, April 2nd at 6-7pm – Virtual
Follow us on Facebook! Cake and delivery needs are posted weekly, in addition to other posts about what’s happening. A list of upcoming parties and party needs can be found here.
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Onsite Party Volunteers Needed | Immediate Need for Help
To continue hosting parties at the shelters, we need volunteers to attend these very fun birthday celebrations. Without volunteers, we will need to cancel these parties. If you are able to help volunteer, please sign up to assist. Prior to signing up, please make sure to read the descriptions and notes to see if there are any restrictions (i.e., age requirement).
Volunteers currently needed at the following shelters for the next month:
- Tuesday, March 19 from 6pm-8pm at Mary’s Place Northshore in North Seattle – 5 volunteers (age 18+)
- Sunday, March 24 from 1pm – 3pm at Mary’s Place Burien in Burien – 10 volunteers (age 18+)
- Wednesday, March 27 from 6pm – 8pm at YWCA Passage Point in Maple Valley – 5 volunteers
- Tuesday, April 2 from 6pm-8pm at Mary’s Place Northshore in North Seattle – 8 volunteers (age 18+)
Please contact Tabitha Amoroso if you’re interested in becoming a Party Coordinator. We are currently looking for Party Coordinators for two locations.
Mary’s Place Burien and YWCA Passage Point Need a Party Coordinator ASAP
Party coordinators pick up the pre-packed bins of supplies, juice, cupcakes, and toys from our Renton office before the onsite party. With assistance from other Birthday Dreams volunteers they will also set up, run, and clean up the onsite party, and return bins to our Renton office at a mutually agreed upon date. The Party Coordinator role is a six-month time commitment to allow for consistent, reliable parties at the shelter. Dates and times of parties are somewhat negotiable; party coordinators are welcome through scheduling conflicts with shelter staff.
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Office and Party Supply Needs
We rely on our donors and volunteers to make birthday dreams come true. This month we need the following items for our birthday children:
- Interactive learning toys for one-year olds and up
- Hot Wheels items
- Pokémon items
- Toddler toys and action figures (Paw Patrol, Cocomelon, Fisher Price Little People)
- Gift Cards to clothing and/or experiences as well as restaurants (Forever 21, AMC Theaters, McDonalds, etc)
- Juice (Nothing that needs refrigeration)
Did you know that you can use Amazon to set up automatic donations? Just select “Subscribe and Save” to make an automatic order monthly for Birthday Dreams and select the Birthday Dreams address when you check out! It’s an easy way to support our office needs and help Birthday Dreams in a big way. Check out the Amazon Wish List for more ideas.
Our team is also in need of help to get some other in-office items that YOU could assist with!
Office supplies:
- Scotch tape
- Expo pens (all colors)
- Zip lock bags (snack, gallon, and 2 gallon)
- Cake boxes (8x8, 10x10, 12x10, and tall 12x12)
- Card stock paper (all colors besides black and dark blue)
- Permanent markers (sharpies large for bags)
- White envelopes 4.5in/9.5in (peel and seal preferably)
- Cricut vinyl (12x12 sheets, all colors/patterns)
- Wrapping paper (no holidays)
- Gift wrapping bows (all sizes and colors)
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A big Birthday Dreams thank you to all of our new and renewing Birthday Club members this past month:
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- Felicia McDaneld
- Fred and Gretel Biel Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
- PayPal Charitable Giving Fund
- Whistle Stop Ale House
A complete list of our 2024 Birthday Club Members can be found on our Birthday Club page. Our thanks to everyone who contributed in 2023. If you are not a current Birthday Club member, please consider joining us in 2024. Click here to donate.
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We accept donations through VENMO. The QR code will take you directly to our page.
You can also donate by texting “birthdaydreams” to 366283.
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