12th Annual Kids for Kids Family Fun Day
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When:
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Where:
Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY
Benefiting:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Total Raised:
$137,542
As this year presented many changes and challenges, our Kids for Kids Team was determined to remain as consistent as possible in our events, fundraising and support for our beneficiary hospitals. Our annual Family Fun Day is a celebration that our members of all ages and donors, volunteers, and supporters look forward to all year – and we were not going to let the COVID-19 pandemic get in the way of our now 12-year tradition in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!
Family Fun at the Zoo
Our 12th Annual Family Fun Day at the Bronx Zoo was a beautiful fall day. Guests arrived early to get an exclusive view of the park and explore the many new elements the zoo had to offer. Unlike our past events at the Bronx Zoo, we had a new event space to call home in the Schiff Family Great Hall within the Madagascar Exhibit. Inside this space, the walls were lined with Kids for Kids Merchandise, Raffles, Auction Items, Photo Booth, Donation Stations and more!
Our Junior Committee Members gave out some goodies while collecting donations and bringing awareness to our Memorial Giving Program, the donations toward which support the future work of the Junior Committee and our Individual Grants Program. Very early on in the year, our Kids for Kids Family, and that of many of our Founding Board Members, experienced a great loss in the passing of Sabrina Giangrande whose young spirit and memory was honored at the event. An astounding $60,600 was raised in her passing and our Junior Committee Members are deeply honored to carry her memory in their fundraising efforts to assist other children struggling with medical challenges and their families.
Upon exiting the Schiff Family Great Hall, our children and families had a front row seat for many of the zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” festivities including spooky stilt walkers, a costume parade, and magic shows that all took place at Astor Court and surrounding areas. Being the week before Halloween, the Bronx Zoo was full of hundreds of families in the Halloween spirit which was a refreshing sight to see. As families explored, we had a brand new element to our entertain our guests with the Wildgoose Scavenger Hunt which included clues, tasks and trivia hidden throughout the zoo through which participants earned points toward a Grand Prize awarded at the day. Kids for Kids Staff Members Suzanne Karath and Danielle Romain shared their own Kids for Kids Trivia as did Nicole Conaway and Laura Wallenstein of the New York City ALSAC/St. Jude Team. Anthony Oliva & Family, with their group “Louie’s Birthday,” collected the most points within their ventures through the zoo winning a Family Zoo Plus Membership, Tickets to Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights, and a $500 Gift Card to cover all their needs with future visits!
Our Fantastic Sponsors
As always, our Kids for Kids Family Fun Day would not possible without the dedication and support of our many Sponsors. Several to note, Joseph DeMicco of Amplify Industrial Marketing + Guidance was highlighted as our Raffle Sponsor and helped afford us the technology to broadcast our Virtual Auction to those in attendance throughout the Bronx Zoo and others who were unable to join us for the day. Christa Donnelly of Forte Construction and TAP Electric supported us as our Lunch & Snack Sponsor while Brian Kaminskey of Kamin Motor Group and NEBR came through as our Beverage Sponsor. Both generous donors afforded guests the ability to eat lunch, grab a snack, refill a beverage no matter what path and exhibit they explored. Sami Flaster from Biz Advance Now, Charlie Medici from Da Hunt For The Cure, Mark Snyder from Red Hook Winery, Robert Singer from Singer & Falk, and Nick Benevento from Hudson Wealth Management all contributed to the event’s success as Event Banner Sponsors with their logos displayed in the Schiff Family Great Hall among our other Sponsors and the companies of our Founding Members. A heartfelt thank you to all of these incredibly generous people for their support during this event.
A Heartwarming Video
While our Family Fun Day typically includes a large fun-filled program with speeches, awards, and impact stories related to the mission of Kids for Kids, this was an element of the event that was extremely limited. So we took our messaging mobile and were able to connect our guests to the reason they were all there supporting Kids for Kids for the day, and that was through a special video from a St. Jude Patient Family. We heard the story of St. Jude patient, Imani, told by her mother and father, both medical professionals and residents of Long Island, NY. This also served as a reminder that our support and funds raised through the year for St. Jude are impacting children and families in need, right in our own communities.
During the event we were also able to give out some fantastic prizes to our lucky raffle winners, with other tickets still selling after the event! Once all tickets sold we pulled are winners and want to congratulate Raymond Polidori who took home our His & Hers Rolex Datejust Watches, Todd Marcus who is the proud new owner of our Ladies Hermes Birkin Bag, and Ann MacBride who won the Apple MacBook Pro & iPad Pro Bundle.
During this year’s Family Fun Day, we raised $137,542 in funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and we are proud to deliver this money directly to children and families in our community who deserve the best possible medical care.
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Get Involved
The best part is donations towards this event are still coming in! If you’d like to help the children and families seeking care at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, please donate here. And don’t forget to share this link with others in your network. Your donations are what empower us to support St. Jude and ensure the children there get the medical care they desperately need. Without your kindness, this would not be possible.
Looking to get in on the fun and support St. Jude? Let us know that you’re interested in next year’s Family Fun Day, and be sure to keep an eye out for other upcoming Kids for Kids events and fundraisers.
