Community Comes Together for Kindness

It was a magical evening in Warren, New Jersey, as Wear the Cape and the kidkind Foundation hosted its fourth annual holiday fundraiser.  What Founder Leigh Ann Errico started as a Christmas cookie exchange in a small dorm room over 20 years ago with only a handful of friends has evolved into a spectacular night every year, with almost 100 women and children gathering to support and celebrate the works of Wear the Cape and the kidkind Foundation.

Some of the original attendees joined the event this evening, including Cynthia Caramico, who gave a passionate testimonial on Wear the Cape’s elementary school Hero Assembly. The program reached thousands of kids this year through over 30 performances since its launch less than a year ago. Guests got a taste of the interactive assembly by watching a highlight video featuring real kids who acted in the assembly to spread kindness and encouragement in the fight against bullying. All were inspired and agreed that the program’s focus on courage and kindness, delivered through relatable messages, is a must for all schools.

Over 20 young children, ranging in age from four to 16, volunteered to help at the event. These Cape Kids greeted guests with big smiles and huge hearts, as they collected toy donations for underprivileged children via New Jersey Children’s Shelter of Trenton, and much needed supplies for our troops overseas via Operation NJ Cares.  YLP Parking of Kenilworth, New Jersey donated their valet fee, as a way to honor all veterans and “pay it forward.”

Coming together to toast to kindness and commemorate the achievements of the past year was a highlight of the evening. In addition to launching and performing Hero Assemblies, a number of which were donated, these accomplishments include being chosen to present at the NJASEC Convention at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ; developing Cape South, a branch of Wear the Cape assemblies in Florida; and the creation of its first children’s book, titled IT’S GOOD TO BE KINGD, which kidkind Foundation will be donating to underprivileged kindergarten classrooms and Wear the Cape will be selling starting at the beginning of 2017.

Adorable Cape Kids modeled Wear the Cape’s newest merchandise: the cozy, embroidered Wear the Cape Hero Hat – White Winter Edition and the Cup of Kindness Mug, which joined the long list of Better Than That™ items, such as lip balm, T-shirts, baseball caps, and even beach balls!

Madame Hollis provided guests with kindness fortune readings on the lower level of the event, while the talented Will Honicky, a high school student from Morris Plains, and Chris Waryn of Watchung entertained guests with their beautiful melodies on the piano.

It was an evening of sheer enjoyment. And when the night came to an end, guests left with dozens of cookies to share in their own homes for the holidays.

After 20 years, the cookie swap tradition continues – only now guests are exchanging more than cookies. They share kindness, generosity, goodwill, and hope for a brighter, kinder world, for their families and children around the world.

For more information on how to donate to the kidkind Foundation, bring a Hero Assembly to a school near you, or purchase IT’S GOOD TO BE KINGD for a child in your life or for kids in need, please email leighann@wearthecapekids.com.

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Letter from Leigh Ann: Gratitude from the kidkind foundation

Washington Irving once said,

“The holidays are the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall and the genial flame of charity in the heart.“

How fitting to evoke warmth and passion by relating hospitality and charity to fire! A year-round flame drives us at kidkind to help young people understand the immeasurable value of good character and kindness. To all the big-hearted people who have embraced our cause, supporting us over the past year: We are so grateful.

The kidkind foundation worked very hard this year, and we are so proud of the tracks that we made! In 2014, we utilized multiple channels to reach families with life-enriching educational materials, experiences and inspiration:

  • Cape Code Project and Dr. Brown: Wear the Cape & the kidkind foundation enlisted character education expert Philip Brown, PhD to develop resources that were provided to parents, educators and mentors for free to teach children virtues and show them how to handle challenges like bullying. As part of this effort, Dr. Brown authored the Cape Code Project, a three-part series that offers guidance on creating a family code of conduct to raise Cape Kids who make good choices and choose kindness as their way to interact with the world. Helping countless families, the invaluable information from Dr. Brown was distributed far and wide via blogs, press releases and the media.
  • 5K Race for Kidkind: In May, we held our first 5K Fundraiser, complete with a Kids’ 100-Yard Dash and Family Festival. Well over 100+ runners participated, and 50 everyday heroes came out to volunteer. Thanks to our sponsors and participants, we raised over $10,000 to support kidkind’s mission.

5K runners of all sizes

  • Hero Scholarship: The kidkind foundation created a scholarship for college-bound seniors who exemplify what it means to be an everyday hero by restoring kindness and civility in society. Frank Piacenti of West Morris Mendham High School was the first winner of a $2,500 scholarship!

Leigh Ann and Frank

  • Cape Kids: Throughout the year, the kidkind foundation recognized many Cape Kids. To create positive role models and deliver inspiration for new acts of kindness from others, we shared their amazing stories on our website.

cape kids on couch

  • Verizon FiOS1 News: “Push Pause”, a television program from Verizon FiOS1 News, featured Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation with a special focus on our Junior Board. In addition to profiling Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, the news outlet broadcasted a discussion among Wear the Cape’s young leaders about the challenges and the opportunities surrounding bullying. We hope viewers gained as much insight from tuning in as we did! [WATCH]
  • Holiday Fundraiser: We held a charitable event to show our youth the importance of philanthropy and to give back to the community. The fundraiser brought $7,000 for kidkind to continue its mission in 2015! In addition, thousands of dollars in supplies were collected for our troops and hundreds of Lego and Frozen toys were gathered to be donated to orphans at the NJ Children’s Shelter in Trenton, NJ.

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I’d like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for the many friends and businesses who are helping Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation continue its momentum behind promoting kindness and good character in children. Thank you so much for the generosity of your time and your donations. Seeing others join the movement and lend their support to this important cause is nothing short of beautiful.

COMING IN 2015 after much demand: a school assembly!

All the best to you and yours in kindness,
Leigh Ann

Kidkind Foundation Giving BIG on #GivingTuesday

Holiday cheer in full effect: Tonight marked Wear the Cape’s second annual kidkind foundation holiday extravaganza! A night focused on philanthropy, the event took place on none other than #GivingTuesday. Giving Tuesday, for those who may not be aware, is a global day that is dedicated to giving back; it’s a chance to unite and celebrate generosity.

_TK10471As founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, I opened up my home in Warren, NJ for the sake of promoting among our children that it is “Cool to Be Kind”. Together, with 80 fine women as guests, about 20 Cape Kids in action, and many vendors who donated their time and their specialties, the night was a resounding success, raising $7K for kidkind to use in 2015 to continue its mission. In addition, the fundraiser collected thousands of dollars in supplies for our troops – the ultimate heroes who fight for our freedom – and gathered hundreds of beautifully-wrapped Lego and Frozen toys to be donated to orphans at the NJ Children’s Shelter in Trenton, NJ.

_TK10516Cape Kids, who have each contributed to society in their own unique ways, were also celebrated. They exemplify what we’ve learned from Wear the Cape’s wise guru Dr. Philip Brown, PhD – that kids who learn and practice the act of volunteering for their community reap all kinds of benefits, including building stellar character. Check out our recent list, “Top 10 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer,” for more.

_TK10648To make the night even more interesting, there was a turbo-charged Holiday Cookie Exchange so that all the ladies could arrive with one type of cookie and depart with their choices from 80 different kinds. Friendly competition got fiercely fun as attendees dueled for the coveted honors of best looking and most delicious cookies in the house!

Local organizations popped in to make holiday shopping a little less stressful for all. The big-hearted vendors “wore the cape” in their own right – Bayhead Boutique, Petite Lily, Christina’s Dresses, and MySuperFoods – donating a percent of proceeds to the kidkind foundation. And, of course, Wear the Cape gear and clothes – every item complete with a Hero Tag that coaches kids on what to do when challenging life scenarios arise – were for sale and flying off the shelves (shop for Wear the Cape goodies for yourself and your loved ones HERE).

Quoting Plato in my remarks for the night, I encouraged:

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

That about sums up the night – Wearing the Cape in action! Because, as my mom always used to say, kindness is free.

Choose kind,
Leigh Ann

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