Kaleb Hits a Home Run with Jays Care Foundation
Posted: April 25, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthday parties, Donations, giving, Jays Care Foundation, Toronto Blue Jays, XBox Leave a commentKaleb, age 6, raised $280 dollars for Jays Care Foundation and got an Xbox 360 at his recent ECHOage birthday party.
Celebrating with friends just got a whole lot more meaningful. Hers’s why this young rookie chose to support Jays Care at his recent
ECHOage birthday party. “I chose to support Jays Care because I love sports and I wanted to help more kids play sports and exercise is very important to kids.
With the generosity of his friends, Kaleb can now play baseball 365 days a year on his brand new Xbox. Sounds like the experience of giving and getting at Kaleb’s ECHOage birthday was a home run!
Calling all baseball fans… Now you can make your next birthday party support Jays Care with our custom invitations:
Exciting event for Jake’s Collection and SickKids – Mars Hotel
Posted: April 11, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
ECHOage would like to highlight the upcoming event in support of our wonderful partner Jake’s Collection. The Mars Hotel, a live Grateful Dead Tribute Band and professional Grateful Dead DJ will play – and it promises to be a magical night – with all proceeds going to Jake’s Collection at The Hospital for Sick Children. Come out and meet some of the members of the ECHOage Team, and the lovely people who run Jake’s Collection.
Finding Autism Support For Parents
Posted: April 8, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Autism, autism support, family, Julie Cole Leave a comment
It has been 10 years since my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.
Back in those days, you got your diagnosis and you were sent on your way to deal with it. Very little information regarding treatment, agencies, education or help of any kind was provided. It was pretty much a “Yes, your son has autism… don’t hit yourself with the door on the way out” kind of an approach.
I didn’t even know where to get started. Keep in mind – this was long before social media. Finding autism support and connecting with other families was not a click away. Even in those early days, I learned quickly that my very best resource was other parents. I stand by that today. And with so many kids affected, there are more and more parents with experience that you can turn to. For example:
- Other Moms. You can find moms everywhere. School is a great place to start. If you can find moms with a child on the spectrum who are attending the school your child will be attending, connect with them. They can give you the ins and outs of the special education resources available, how to negotiate support for your child, which teachers are best to deal with and basically how to work the system in the best possible way for your child. Going to school is a big move for our kids (and us!) so connecting with school moms prior to school enrollment is key.
- Support groups. I wandered into an autism support group and truly found my people. But you have to find the right group. Some groups are for parents to share in their concerns and maybe have a little cry and get support that way. My support group suited me because we were a group about action. The facilitator was fierce – we were all there because we wanted the best outcomes for our kids and we left with actual tasks to report back on at the next meeting. There was no “There, there, everything will be OK.” And that was fine with me. Make sure your autism support group has the same goals as you do to get the most out of it.
- Online groups. There are countless Facebook groups, Yahoo groups and online communities. What I would have done for that resource 10 years ago! These groups are a great place to have discussions, ask questions and get answers. And who isn’t blogging these days? There are amazing blogs written by parents of children with autism who share their journeys.
- Find some you connect with and you have instant community.
You don’t have to do this alone. We are here waiting to help you. Find us.
ECHOage Guest Blogger – Julie Cole
One family, 6 ECHOage parties, and close to $700 raised for charity.
Posted: April 7, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthdays, charity, ECHOage, gifts, kids Leave a commentThat’s what this incredible family has accomplished using ECHOage! Wendy Labelle and her children, Ella and Griffin, have become our Quebec ECHOage heroes; they are committed to making the world a better place, one celebration at a time. Read the testimonials from this generous, inspiring family!
“We LOVE ECHOage! We were first introduced to the idea by neighbors who were hosting an ECHOage birthday party. My daughter, Ella, thought it was a very interesting concept and decided on her own that she wanted to do the same! It didn’t take too much convincing to get my son, Griffin, on board as well.”
“They have always been big-hearted and charitable – donating clothes, toys and food quite willingly. As a matter of fact, they look forward to their ECHOage parties every year and tell me way in advance which charities they want to help. My daughter and son both like to donate to The Montreal Children’s Hospital, not only because I worked there for several years, but also because Ella had surgery there.”
“We have had nothing but positive feedback from our invitees, and the online invitations and thank you notes are convenient and easy to use. My kids like the concept because, not only do they get to help a charity, but the money they receive gives them the freedom to choose their own gifts, or save it for a rainy day. They proudly tell friends and family that they have raised money for their charity of choice. We will definitely continue using ECHOage for many celebrations to come…”
A huge thank you to the Labelle family for the positive ways they’ve influenced their friends and their community! Wishing you many more happy celebrations from everyone at ECHOage.com!
Raising money for Jays Care AND getting a John Tavares Jersey – now that’s a double play!
Posted: March 26, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
At his 10th birthday party, Kieron raised $212 for Jays Care Foundation and got a jersey that he had been dreaming about.
Kieron’s friends were jumping for joy (literally) at their Skyzone trampoline party as they felt great about helping Kieron both give and get something truly memorable.
In Kieron’s words, “I chose Jays Care Foundation because I love sports and I liked that Jays Care helps kids. I spent my money on a John Tavares jersey, because he is one of my favourite hockey players. I liked doing this for my birthday because I got money and I knew that I was helping a charity.
Kieron sends a special thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for sending him this awesome Blue Jays hat. Certainly a gift to treasure.
We couldn’t be more proud of you Kieron for making a difference at such a young age.
Montreal Brothers Love To Give
Posted: March 17, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Birthday, ECHOage, kids, Montreal, Party Leave a commentHurray for these birthday boys! Brothers, Jordan and Isaac made turning 2 and 4 extra special by supporting two incredible organizations, Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) Foundation at their recent ECHOage birthday parties.
Feeling blessed by their children, Kathy and David were looking for ways to help other families who have not been as fortunate. “Despite their overall good health, we have over the years been frequent visitors to the MCH Emergency Department and we have appreciated the excellent care our boys have received. In addition, we have always considered the Make-A-Wish Foundation to be a wonderful cause. To give a terminally ill child the opportunity to fulfill their last wish is priceless,” explained Jordan and Isaac’s mom Kathy.
Birthday present wish lists were on the sporty side with these active brothers. A basketball net for Isaac, and a bike for Jordan! Mom Kathy loved seeing her children celebrate with friends and family and shared: “The ECHOage format made the whole process easy and convenient for us and our guests. I found in the past my kids would get so many gifts that they would not appreciate them. This way they were able to receive one big gift, and they appreciated it more.”
Thanks Jordan and Isaac for being our ECHOage Heroes and for inspiring so many other families to follow in your footsteps! Happy birthday from all of us at ECHOage!
Kids are NOT Mean
Posted: March 12, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: family, Julie Cole, mean children, parenting Leave a comment
There’s a general statement I often hear about kids, usually when there has been an incident of bullying or unkind behavior. That statement is “kids are so mean”. I cringe every time I hear it because:
a) It’s not true
b) Generalizations don’t serve anyone well and usually end up making me feel twitchy.
Unlike the bullying stories you often hear, I recently had an experience with my 14-year-old son that left me completely overwhelmed with how kind and supportive teenage boys can be.
He was out of town with his hockey team participating in a tournament. I worried that it might be a bit awkward socially, since the boys on the team didn’t know each other very well heading into the tournament. I was sure to send Daddy-o and son off with the Xbox and a load of junkie drinks and chips. That way, my kid’s room would be the “cool” place for them to hang out. When you’re raising a child with autism, you are always thinking about setting him up for success socially.
Daddy-o was giving me e-mail updates throughout the second game of the tournament, and what I was reading brought me to my knees. Here’s what happened:
- My kid got his first goal of the season. The bench cleared and his team went crazy congratulating him. In fact, our coach had to let the other coach know that it was his first goal and that they weren’t in fact rubbing it in that they had gotten so far ahead;
- Then my kid scored a second goal. More hysteria ensues. With one minute of play left, our coach was sending out the last lineup of players. One of the boys getting sent onto the ice asked coach if Mack could go out in his place so that he’d have a shot at getting a hat trick. Yes, a teammate gave up his own ice time for my son.
- After the game, his teammates decided he should be the tournament captain. A white “C” made of hockey tape was applied to his jersey, and he was given the game puck.
So you see why I don’t believe that kids are mean. We can’t forget about the coaches either. Any coach who can create an environment of support and peer encouragement for a bunch of testosterony 14-year-old boys has clearly worked some magic.
Quebec! It’s Time to ECHOage!
Posted: March 4, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: birthdays, charity, ECHOage, events, kids, Quebec Leave a commentQuebec! It’s Time to ECHOage!
We’re hearing all kinds of ECHOs across Quebec these days! Children are giving to others in record numbers and creating a positive impact on the world on the occasion of their birthdays. We’ve got generous leaders among us and their ECHOs are being heard!
By now you’ve either hosted or been to an ECHOage party and hopefully you can easily agree that this is a major win for the child, the charity, the environment and especially you, the parent! Move over Evite, ECHOage is the answer for the multi-tasking, socially conscious and environmentally friendly among us.
Partners you care about
Supporting organizations you feel connected to makes the ECHOage experience all the sweeter. We’re made that possible by partnering with organizations essential to our community and right in our backyard. The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Jewish General Hospital, the Just for Kids Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, the MAB-Mackay Foundation, the MADA Community Center are all Quebec based charities that are benefiting from the generosity of your children! Believe it that we can change the world one celebration at a time!
The Part I’m Playing
As mom to two young girls, I have seen first hand the joy and pride that my daughters have experienced from giving back and doing important work for those in need. As the eastern regional ambassador, I am thrilled to be able to play a part in fostering kindness and generosity among our youngest generation. I am here to support you whether it’s your first or fifth ECHOage party! I can always be reached at bonnie@echoage.com.
The Difference Little (And Big) People Can Make
My daughter and her best friend raised over $1200 this past September onthe occasion of their 7th birthdays, of which over $600 went to the Montreal Children’s Hospital! Talk about a gift with major impact! To date we’ve raised over $2.5 million dollars for our over 250 charitable partners across Canada and the US. Just imagine what can be accomplished! Join us Quebecers! It’s time to create your ECHO!
And adults, did you know ECHOage isn’t just for kids anymore! Learn more about ECHOage and ECHOage Events here…
Designed by Etsy Artisans – Our Newest Series of ECHOage Invitations Launched!
Posted: March 3, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Release your inner artist and let us know what you think of our new series of invitations designed for both ECHOage Kids and ECHOage Events.
ECHOage heads to the Big Apple!
Posted: February 19, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Birthday, charity, ECHOage, kids, NYC, parties Leave a commentStina Hamlin, a local NYC mom of a 6yr old girl and 2yr old boy, is heading up the New York office. A career television producer and long-time user of ECHOage, Stina approached co-founders, Debbie Zinman and Alison Smith, to head up a U.S. branch in New York City. The result is an exciting collaboration that brings ECHOage’s joy of giving AND celebrating to America! Stina’s experience in marketing, creative content production, and her status as one of the early adopters of ECHOage in Los Angeles, and now New York City, adds her expertise and enthusiasm to the ECHOage team. “I am ecstatic about being a part of a company and philosophy in which I truly believe. I have used ECHOage for my children’s parties for 6 years and have raised almost $2000 for charities they chose teaching them valuable life lessons while having fun. I am looking forward to expanding the ECHOage mission in the U.S. and NYC!” says Stina Hamlin of ECHOage NY.
Photo Credit: Toki Lee Photography – http://www.Tokileephoto.com
ECHOage - Get great gifts. Give to charity. 