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News, Updates & Opportunities
May 2025
| | Current and Upcoming Events | |
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Miles For Smiles May 16 | Join Us
Ready to make a difference with every mile? Register now for one of our biggest fundraising events of the year.
Birthday Dreams' big Spring FUNdraiser runs May 16 through May 30. We need your help to make this awesome event a fundraising success. It's easy to participate in the Miles for Smiles Activity Challenge; take it at your own pace, log your activity any time during the two-week event. All Birthday Dreams supporters, parents, children, friends, family, neighbors (anyone and everyone) are welcome to participate! Form a team and start the fundraising. You can complete your activity goals alone or with friends and do the entire thing in one day or split it into several days, it is up to you!
Click here to register.
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SCAVENGER HUNT! Add some spice to your miles by joining the photo scavenger hunt! See how many photos you can get while you are out and about. Participants with the most photos will be entered into a prize drawing!
Also, remember to tag your fun Miles for Smiles pictures on social media with #milesforsmiles2025.
A big thank you to our amazing sponsors listed below:
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Summit Dance May 18 Benefit Performance
Birthday Dreams is the proud beneficiary of the Summit Dance Company's fourth annual Raising the Barre benefit show. The show will take place at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center on Sunday, May 18, at noon, and will feature all Summit Dance Company Team Dances from the 2024-25 season. Everyone is invited, so come cheer on the dancers and raise funds for Birthday Dreams.
Tickets will NOT be available at the door, so purchase your tickets here today.
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Randall Morris Foundation Events
Birthday Dreams is pleased to again be a beneficiary of the trio of annual events hosted by The Randall Morris Foundation. Click here for additional event and ticket information.
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Gates Foundation Discovery Center
Through June 7, Birthday Dreams will be featured in the Gates Discover Center in Seattle. Visitors can visit the center and create a party hat in the Center's Take Action space. The Discover Center is open from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is free.
“Arrive curious, leave inspired.”
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The parent feedback we receive is a constant reminder of the importance of the work we do; we want you to hear first-hand the difference you make, so we are sharing it with you:
"I am a single mom working part-time, my income barely covers our expenses...I was able to make my 5-year-old son happy on his birthday only because of your help. I felt so good as a mom because I could celebrate without going into debt. My son felt valuable and the same as other kids, not poor, so he couldn't afford a party. He was super excited and even cried. He was happy to give the [goody bags] to his friends. He opened his gifts, and with each new one was more and more thankful. Thank you!"
With your continued support, we are committed to bringing hope and joy to the community we serve through the gift of a birthday celebration.
| | Community Support and Recognition | |
Grants
Without the grant awards generously endowed by our foundation partners, we could not do what we do. Over the past month, we received grants from the following partners:
- T Mobile Foundation | $12,700
- Aven Foundation | $5,000
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VISTEX ENDEAVOR
Vistex Endeavor is a longtime supporter of Birthday Dreams. Whether volunteering at the Gala or at our office, they are here to help. We are so grateful to Senior Team Manager, Program Administration Macey Tursunova, for bringing a wonderful group of volunteers into the office twice during their Volunteer Month. They helped with several different projects, including making friendship bracelets. When asked why they chose Birthday Dreams during Volunteer Appreciation Month, Macy said, “We partner with Birthday Dreams to bring joy and a sense of belonging to children experiencing homelessness by ensuring every child can celebrate their special day.”
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THE PARTNERS GROUP
We would like to thank The Partners Group for spending part of their Volunteer Month at Birthday Dreams. Amy Crandall brought in a great team, who wrapped gifts, completed party hats, and signed up to help deliver birthday parties. One volunteer even created a fantastic flyer for us on her own time after the event! They are a fun group, and we hope to host them again soon.
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St. George Parish School
We welcomed the St. George School, Realize the Dream Team leaders to Birthday Dreams on April 7. The school is participating in the Realize the Dream Team Initiative; each of the 10 classes brought in 30 birthday items to donate to Birthday Dreams. It took two trips to drop off the close to 650 items that were donated! Six amazing student leaders, in grades 4th- 6th, also volunteered in our office, working on various projects. We appreciate all their hard work and dedication to such a great initiative and are honored to have been chosen as a beneficiary.
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T-Mobile
Birthday Dreams would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to the T-Mobile Foundation for its amazing support of our cause! We were honored to receive a generous grant award from the Foundation that will fund all our 2025 Mary’s Place birthday parties in Bellevue and 800 Goody Bags! Executive Vice President and General Counsel Mark Nelson and Senior Executive Assistant Stephanie Correia were present to award the giant check during a volunteer event where members of the T-Mobile Legal Team assembled the 800 goody bags in just under 2 hours! This also happened to be Bring Your Kids to Work Day, making it an extra special experience for everyone involved!
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AvalonBay Communities
We were thrilled to be invited to Vollapalooza Week at AvalonBay Communities in April. The staff at three locations gathered to make party hats or goody bags for Birthday Dreams. Our thanks to Sr. Administrative Coordinator and Development Office Manager Holly Mihalyo for inviting us to partner with them again. They assembled 150 goody bags and hundreds of party hats. In her spare time, Holly also baked an awesome Spiderman Cake for an upcoming birthday party. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to AvalonBay Communities! We can't wait to partner with them again.
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Junior League of Seattle
We are loving our continued partnership with Junior League of Seattle. This month Tamara Jacobs, worked with fellow league members to be the first team of volunteers to create Friendship Bracelet Kits for upcoming birthday parties. They generously purchased the supplies and successfully made the kits. We can’t thank them enough!
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Gates Ventures
We are honored to continue an amazing partnership with Gates Ventures. We were invited back by Senior Executive Business Administrator Kim McGee, who led her team in making over 500 goody bags! Volunteers from two locations participated simultaneously, resulting in thoughtfully decorated and assembled bags that will be distributed to kids in need and their guests at upcoming parties. Thank you so much!
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YMCA Healthy Kids Day
This was a great community event where our volunteers, Pam and Ilia, were honored to meet a mom who approached them to tell her story of how Birthday Dreams had helped her three kids in the past. Our thanks to the Coal Creek YMCA for including us in this event.
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Gates Foundation – Global Health
Thank you, Senior Program Coordinator, Discovery & Translational Sciences, Cherrie Smith, for choosing Birthday Dreams to benefit from the Gates Foundation Global Health Division Day of Service on April 28. The 17 volunteers made over 550 goody bags to be handed out at an upcoming birthday party. Their generous donation of supplies for the goody bags and their hard work make a difference, and we are grateful for this continued partnership!
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Additional Thanks
We would also like to thank Light of Life Lutheran Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, and St. George Parish for their partnership.
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In-Kind Donations
In-kind gifts and donations of office and party supplies are always needed and appreciated. A big thank you to:
- Sally Eastey donated 225 gifts
- Deep Singh donated 148 gifts
- Emily Egashira donated 74 gifts
- Roger and Susan Atlas donated 39 books
- A Girl Scout Troop donated 48 gifts
Our thanks also go to the individuals and organizations below for their donations. We appreciate you!
- Jill Kim
- Mary Morales
- Mary Snyder
- Tara Wood
- Terri Feely
- 8-bit Arcade Bar
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Our thanks to the following new and renewing individuals and businesses who generously donated to Birthday Dreams in April 2025:
Aven Foundation
Belur & Rama Shivashankara
Christine and Kevin Zeznick
Crystina Cupp
Dani Brazzle
Doug and Shannon Luedtke
H.D. Fowler Company
Jim and Carol Waugh
Loya Brown
Merck Matching Funds
Nuru Kiyemba
Stephanie Monger
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society
T-Mobile Foundation
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In addition to the 2025 list, a complete list of our 2024 Birthday Club Members can be found on our Birthday Club page. If you are not a current Birthday Club member, please consider joining us. Click here to donate.
| | Kids Helping Kids | Cascade Christian | | |
A big thanks to Mrs. Terrell at Cascade Christian for introducing Birthday Dreams to an amazing group of students and for making Birthday Dreams a part of the students' Impact Term (I-Term) goal.
As part of their I-Term goal, Cascade Christian students came together to help Birthday Dreams with their current needs by making over 280 goody bags, wrapping gifts, and creating bows. The I-Term goal is to serve and positively impact others for the glory of God.
After spending two days working hard in our office, the students spent time at school making over 200 party hats; as well in the time since nearly the entire team of volunteers have had the opportunity to see their good work firsthand by volunteering at a Birthday Dreams shelter party.
The group says "Serving behind the scenes and then volunteering at a party made us appreciate how much work Birthday Dreams puts in to make these kids feel so special and loved. What a wonderful opportunity that can make such a big difference in the lives of these children and their families."
| | Volunteer Spotlight | Cherrie Smith | | |
Cherrie Smith discovered Birthday Dreams online while searching for opportunities to help women and families in domestic violence shelters. Cherrie, who loves to bake and create fun birthday cakes for friends and family, saw being a volunteer baker as a perfect fit. She started volunteering three years ago with the goal to bake at least one cake per month. Cherrie said, “I love whales. I was particularly excited to make a Narwhal-themed cake for a child. It is probably one of my favorite cakes I’ve ever made. I enjoy bringing the kids’ imaginations to life via cake! It’s both fulfilling and fun for me to contribute joy to their lives and the world in this small way.” To boot, Cherrie often delivers her cakes directly to the party.
In addition, Cherrie has hosted two goody bag packing parties at her office. Cherrie commented that her coworkers have enjoyed getting to know about and volunteering for Birthday Dreams. Collectively, the team has packed and donated 800 goody bags!
When asked about advice for people considering volunteering for Birthday Dreams, Cherrie said, “Do it! There are so many ways to get involved, you will find something that you’ll enjoy!”
Cherrie is a native Washingtonian but lived abroad in Kenya and Nicaragua before returning to Seattle. She loves her work in Global Health. In addition to baking, she likes to hike, SUP, whale watch, travel, and play with her street dog rescue, Risa. Her greatest passions are health equity locally and globally, wildlife conservation, animal rescue, and child welfare, and she spends her time volunteering in those areas when possible. Fun fact: Cherrie shares her birthday with her older sister and father.
| | Awesome Cakes Delivered with Love | | A 7-year old boy was the lucky recipeint of this T-Rextastic Dinosaur cake by Lauren Yasuda. The birthday boy's gifts included Avengers wall decals, a Marvel card game, a Captain America shield and gauntlet, and Wonders of Learning - Robotics. Sarah Jaquet made the special delivery. | | This amazing Spiderman cake by Holly Mihalyo was a MARVELous tasty treat for a 5-year-old boy. Sally Eastey provided the gifts, a Spiderman backpack, a lunch bag, a keychain, a pencil case, a plush throw, a basketball, and Hot Wheels. Daniel Brewis made the birthday delivery. | | Teri Feely sprinkled this chocolate princess cake with lots of love for a sweet girl turning 9. Gifts for the birthday girl included a bead set and carrying case, Bird Purse, Just Grace and the Snack Attack gifts, Sew Your Own Sockodile Kit, activity books, and more. The delivery was made by Laurel Tomchick. | | |
Opportunities to Get Involved
Are you or someone you know interested in serving on a committee, helping with community events, or serving on our Board of Directors? We'd love to hear from you.
Birthday Dreams Committees
Marketing & Development Committee
A fundraising and marketing-oriented committee that meets virtually the last Wednesday of every other month. We are looking for individuals with knowledge of best practices in marketing and fundraising. If interested, contact Jarod Drozdowski.
Gala of Dreams Steering Committee
Soley focused on all aspects of our annual Gala fundraiser. If interested, contact Jarod Drozdowski.
Community Events
Would your place of work like to get employees involved to bring some birthday joy? Birthday Dreams would be thrilled to make that happen! If interested, contact Leah Battin.
Board of Directors
Are you or someone you know interested in serving on a committee, helping with community events, or serving on our Board of Directors? We'd love to hear from you. We are actively recruiting individuals who are interested in volunteering their time and talent for our cause. We are looking for qualified, highly motivated individuals to serve a two-year renewable term. Please contact Chris Spahn for more information on Board service.
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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 Community Event Coordinator, Leah Battin.
We offer 30-minute virtual orientations for new volunteers and welcome new and interested volunteers to schedule a convenient time to tour our Renton office. Please email Heid Singh to schedule a visit or to request a call to learn more about volunteering. The next virtual orientations are:
- Saturday, May 10 at 10 AM
- Tuesday, May 20 at 6 PM
Follow us on Instagram and 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
Shelter parties allow us to celebrate a number of children at one time. We bring food, games, goody bags and gifts to the shelter, and facilitate a great party for the birthday children and their families. Sign up here to volunteer to help.
- Saturday, May 10 at LIHI- Meadowbrook View in North Seattle from 11AM - 1PM
- Sunday, May 18 at Mary's Place in Seattle from 1 PM - 3 PM (Must be 18+)
- Friday, June 13 at Mary's Place in Seattle from 3 PM - 4 PM (Must be 18+)
- Saturday, June 14 at LIHI Meadowbrook View in North Seattle from 11 AM - 1 PM
We are excited to start onsite parties in May at Mary's Place – Regrade in Seattle.
Michelle Oord has graciously offered to coordinate these parties now that Mary's Place -
Burien parties are on hold during construction. The first one will be Sunday, May 18
from 1pm-3pm and on Friday evenings during the summer months.
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Other Ways to Help | Office and Party Supply Needs
Our Amazon Wish List is updated weekly, allowing us to better serve Birthday Dreams kids by making sure they have some great gifts from their personal wish lists. Click on this link or scan the QR code to see our current needs, which include toddler toys, footballs and basketballs!
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.
Please include your name and email when using the Amazon wish list so we know who to thank.
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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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