Julie Lowenbaum and her daughter Katie contacted Reason To Give in early January with a great idea to celebrate Katie’s 10th birthday and help the families of Humboldt Park at the same time. Rather than the traditional party, Katie and 20 of her girlfriends and chaperons went on a scavenger hunt through Northbrook Court Mall and collected basic items for Reason To Give participants.
The girls were divided into three groups and given a list of clues and a mission for each destination, where they purchased items with pre-purchased gift cards. Arnie Cohen, the mall manager, also donated a beautiful luggage set for one of our families. Reason to Give sent t-shirts and postcards over for the event.
Julie said the party, “Donate with Kate was a big, big hit,” and the girls purchased basic items (socks, hats, and scarves) as well as fun items (stuffed animals and key chains) that the kids in our program are sure to love. We thank Julie, Katie, and everyone who participated in the scavenger hunt for their generosity, and commend them on such an innovative alternative to the traditional birthday party! The idea is already catching on among Kate’s friends, and we anticipate a trend towards charity birthday parties to sweep Chicagoland soon.
