The Easter Bunny is working overtime!! The Breathing Room’s annual Easter Program provided 270 Easter baskets for all the children in over 100 families ranging in age from infants to college students. Easter hams, gift cards, small toys and fragrant hyacinths were supplied for the entire family to enjoy, providing a needed lift during stressful treatment and recovery time. The baskets were personalized for each child. Indeed, Passover baskets for our Jewish families and Spring baskets for our Muslim families were created, complete with kosher turkey breasts for a special meal.
The baskets, flowers and food were brought to St. James Catholic Hall in Elkins Park on Saturday March 23, where teams of volunteers arrived to begin deliveries. The drivers spread out to Philadelphia, Lower Bucks County and wide swaths of Montgomery and Delaware County, bringing good cheer. The Easter baskets were transported carefully wrapped in black trash bags to preserve the anonymity of Peter Cottontail.
Many of our drivers are part of our Young BRF Friends. These young adults are busy graduate students and working professionals. They may have been out late the night before but it didn’t stop them from giving their time on a chilly, snowy, Saturday morning! High school students from Abington High School’s Key Club helped with the heavy lifting, always with a smile.
We thank everyone who made this possible, whether donating items, assembling baskets or making deliveries. In particular we wish to thank Father Windhaus at St James for his generosity in letting us use the school space, Kremp Florist in Willow Grove for discounting the flowers and Joe’s Meat Market of Glenside for the discount prices on the meats. It takes a village to give our families the breathing room they need, and we know how much they appreciate everything you do.
The Breathing Room’s next big event is the Celebration of Life. Join us for a great night of dinner and dancing at The Blair Mill Inn from 7pm – midnight. Tickets are available through our website or by calling 267-282-5844. Tickets are $40/ticket.
(Note: A special thank you to Fran Ryan for this blog post!)
