Riley from Kids Are Heroes Day 2010

I don’t think that a day goes by without me thinking of this day. Whether it be the ones we have enjoyed (this will be our 4th), or the ones we plan for. Last year’s event was amazing. I knew it would be a tall order to top it so I got to work on it MUCH earlier in the year this time. It was important to have it sponsored as we had to shoulder that responsibility in the past ourselves. We struggle in the current economy just like everyone else so that was no longer possible. Thanks to our Kids Are Heroes Day Giving Wall, and the kind companies and folks who have purchased bricks on it, we will be able to hold a reception for the kids this year. That’s what we have been working on and now we can also say we are taking that a step further. I’m proud to announce that for the first time we will be able to sponsor one hero and his/her guardian to come to the event this October. Why that makes me feel so good is because I am always hearing from families who would LOVE to come and be with other like minded children but cannot due to the cost of travel and accommodations. At this point we can commit to inviting one hero and guardian from the USA to be here with us. We are hoping for more donations, individual and corporate, to allow us to sponsor more. Our heroes who wish to be subsidized will write an essay and we will choose the best one(s) based on need and desire to be here.

Last year we enjoyed 23 heroes from all over the world, who ranged in age from 4-16 years old. And when I say all over the world I mean ALL over the world. Diana Onyonyi traveled 16 hours by plane, all the way from Nairobi, Kenya to be with her diminutive colleagues. This year Alaina Podmorow is scheduled to attend and she hails from British Columbia, Canada. As I mentioned 23 heroes were in attendance last year. We expect many more than that this year since our total number of heroes is 224 as of this writing. And since we now represent six countries, who knows how far they will travel? At the event, each one is invited to share their efforts with all who approach them. They are given opportunities to speak on stage and/or entertain in some way. One of the highlights of the day is the recognition ceremony where all heroes get a “thank-you” certificate from the mall. And of course they always get a real kick out of the reception, because that’s when they get to interact with each other the most and make new friends.

So what did we come up with for this year? Thanks to a chance conversation with Osjah’s mom, we will be having our first “Cupcake Wars” event at Kids Are Heroes Day this year. We have moved the awards ceremony to 3PM and from 1-3, three local bakeries will square off to try and serve the best cupcakes in Frederick. This will also act as a fundraiser for Kids Are Heroes, with hopes to propel us into 2012 with a somewhat healthy fiscal standing. But by definition we do things to support our kids. To that end we also plan to host “Charity Wars” in tandem with the Cupcake Wars.  Each vote for a cupcake consists of a vote for a bakery. That vote can also be used to vote for a charity that is supported by our children. Each child in attendance represents a charity that they are working on behalf of.  At the end of the competition we will donate %25 of the cash proceeds during the event to one of these charities, as long as it is US based and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. (We’re not snobs, we just have rules and regulations as to what we’re allowed to do.) All votes for all charities will end up in a barrel which the winner will be drawn from.

Our Support

Laken Weaver, who is quite an accomplished young local singer, will be singing our national anthem to start the day. If we can convince her to she will also sing the anthems of other countries represented at our event. Her dad Conrad will be running the live video stream throughout parts of the day. The Oakdale Owls will be back for the third year in a row. This time they will be performing the Kids Are Heroes Theme Song! Our consummate DJ, Wes Morgan from Gettysburg, PA, will be at the helm again with his AMAZING setup. We are excited to welcome the Musicians of Mercy, as they plan to bring a sizable orchestra to play for us. “We will bring however many will fit on the stage!”, says Robin Fay Massie, executive director of the organization. We are SO lucky to have Michelle Lindsay take the first photographer’s shift from 10-1PM. Our good friend and also excellent photog Amanda Rodriguez will have the afternoon shift. Sisters Bake Shop and Angel Cakes LLC two of the finest bakeries in Frederick, will square off for the Cupcake Wars.

Event Details

Kids Are Heroes Day 2011 will be held at the center court of the Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick, Maryland, from 10AM-4PM on Saturday, October 29th, 2011.  Tables for each hero will be set up around the fountain for the kids to spread awareness about what they are doing, and to inspire children of passersby to become involved. People can start buying tickets for the Cupcake Wars at 12PM, and can begin voting (and eating) them at 1PM.  The Musicians of Mercy will be on at 2PM. The recognition ceremony for all the children will be held at 3PM.

There will be activities throughout the day, as our kids will have prepared to speak and entertain. Check back to this post from time to time as we will be updating it frequently as plans develop. We hope to see you there!!

From left to right: John, Evan, Mercy, Mandy, MaryMargaret and Casey (or as MM affectionately calls her: "Mini-Me")

I just love it when we have opportunities to get the kids from the Kids Are Heroes web site together. Our latest opportunity was yesterday in Baker Park, a beautiful setting in downtown Frederick, MD. Mary Kate McKenna, of Mary Kate McKenna Photography was generous enough to lend us her talents and take pictures of several heroes who participated in this get-together.  There were boys and girls of ages ranging from five to ten years old, but none of that mattered when they were allowed to play together.  There was a baseball diamond adjacent to the photo shoot, and it wasn’t too long before they were laughing together while chasing each other around the bases.

And what a photo shoot it was. Mary Kate as you can see is a very talented photographer.  She has also availed herself for Kids Are Heroes Day, which will be held at the Francis Scott Key Mall on October 24, 2009.  I encourage you to take a look at her amazing work, which features the following children from our web site: Casey, Kyle, John, MaryMargaret, Mandy, Mercy and Evan.  If you comment on the photos she will donate to one of the hero’s causes, so please feel free to tell her how great the pictures are!