Christmas in July
Can you keep a secret? We hope not!
It's July - and that means planning for the annual Holiday Shoppe has begun! This annual event is the most anticipated event of the year for families!
The Pause Holiday Shoppe has become a place where families find success in building annual traditions. Last year, it was all smiles watching kids wait for the event to start - their noses pressed up against the glass entry doors. Kids of all abilities showed up ready for fun. Children with limited vocabularies - some using only their eyes and electronic systems to communicate, kids in wheelchairs with medical equipment in tow and we can’t forget all of our service dog furry friends who showed up ready too!
Last December, our annual Holiday Shoppe welcomed 148 families, consisting of 335 kids! To make it possible for all these families to attend, for the first time, the Holiday Shoppe was split into three sessions over two days! Families enjoyed BINGO, story time with MidPointe Library, “ice skating” with Charlie Brown, writing letters to Santa, creating ornaments filled with hot cocoa, decorating cookies (courtesy of our friends from Butler Tech), watercolor ice painting, and over 25 other trauma responsive and sensory friendly activities.
We continued the tradition of identifying each family by name at the event and it was precious watching each family search for their family snowflake. It’s our way of reminding them they matter and that they are part of a larger Pause family and community.
The star of the event was the holiday boutique store - curated just for the kids! Every child of every ability level was able to shop for their family with a volunteer personal shopper. Our army of volunteer “elves” wrapped up their selections while they had fun so they could pick them up on their way out. There was so much excitement and we can confidently say some gifts did not make it out of the parking lot before being unwrapped - and we love that!
This event was made possible by the 196 volunteers stationed at all the activities. They were engaging with families, making kiddos feel special and helping them every step of the way - we are so thankful for them! All throughout the event, they continued to build into their resilience and self-esteem of our kiddos using affirmation stickers as kids visited them. Most kids left COVERED in stickers that affirmed their character, their personality and what makes them most special. Some families even shared with us that instead of throwing the stickers away when they got home, their kiddos stuck them to folders or pieces of paper to save them so they could continue to read them in the coming weeks and months.
We are able to offer this event for FREE with the support of our generous event sponsors. We are on the hunt for more sponsors to continue this annual tradition for families. This year we have a way for you to GIVE BACK and GET BACK at the same time!
Getting involved is EASY!
We are looking for corporate and event sponsors - all you need to do is refer us to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers or business partners who would be willing to hear more about corporate or Holiday Shoppe event sponsorships!
How does it work?
You complete one form for every person you are referring, and we add your name to the weekly gift card drawing!
Your referrals should be personal connections and people who would be willing to sit down and hear the Pause story and the impact of the Holiday Shoppe with the potential heart to get involved! If your referral turns into a sponsorship, you automatically receive a gift card in addition to your weekly chance in the raffle!
START NOW! Referrals will be accepted all month, but the sooner you refer the more chances you will have in the weekly drawing. Have additional questions? Email us at questions@pauseforparents.org.
Complete the referral form here!
