By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist
The Mitzvah Mama Guild of Seattle Children’s hospital will debut its community Hanukkah party and fundraiser on Dec. 13 at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.
Dubbed The Big Spin, the party is a debut for the guild as well. One of the hospital’s newest, it’s the first and only one identified as Jewish.
The idea for Mitzvah Mama began with Laura Glass, who had long wanted to form a guild. As an advertising salesperson for the local ParentMap magazine, Glass says she felt a “profound relationship” with the hospital, one of her clients, and wanted to do more for it.
At Children’s, guilds are groups of women who raise money for patient care.
“This past August I was having dinner with friends,” Sara Eizen and Dani Ruthfield, Glass explains. Eizen, the mother of twin 2-year-olds, Ruthfield, mom of a 4- and 2-year-old, and Glass, mother of 9-, 5- and 2-year-olds, all shared the common experience of having children treated at the hospital at one time or another, and the support they received there.
Over Pad Thai, Glass fielded her idea. Her friends immediately responded, “Let’s start a guild!”
This meant developing a fundraising idea or event.
“We stayed up until midnight or one in the morning talking,” Glass says, trying to figure out “the one thing missing in Seattle.” Finally, they hit upon “one huge, blowout Hanukkah event.”
Having grown up in Seattle, Glass says, “I love and appreciate what the JCC does,” but thought they might not be attracting all potential participants. After checking dates to avoid conflict with the SJCC party (Dec. 6), they set about creating a “really compelling” event.
Deciding against “just another auction,” they focused on something “Jewish families could look forward to every year,” something that would teach children about tikkun olam, repairing the world.
Aileen Kelly, executive director of the hospital’s guild association, confirmed that there was no Jewish guild in the 500 affiliated with Children’s.
“I was mortified to learn that was true,” says Glass, despite the fact that the hospital has many Jewish supporters.
“I’m changing that,” Glass remembers saying. Kelly was “delighted” with the idea and “honored that [Glass] and her friends wanted to do such a great event for Seattle Children’s.”
Glass used to have a business called Baby Loves Disco, a monthly dance party for families, and drew on her event organizing skills and local connections.
“I thought if I could attract a rock star friend or two to…give us an in-kind concert, put together some fun booths, step up the food, we would have something special.”
The rock star in question turns out to be Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America. Ballew is not Jewish, but he is a dad, and has recently turned to composing and performing children’s songs under the name Caspar Babypants. Glass promises some “real rock stuff that parents will get into,” as well (www.babypants.com).
GG Green, “really a Mercer Island dad named Chad Reibman” (and Jewish) will perform magic. There will be a variety of carnival-style booths geared for kids around ages 1 to 11. Tzedakah boxes will be the featured arts and crafts project; there will be games, face painting and a photo booth. A certain number of “gelt” are included with admission and more can be purchased there.
For parents, Glass says, “the largest spinning dreidel in the Northwest,” will be available to twirl.
“My husband is building it as we speak,” she says. “I hear him on the porch with a table saw.”
For $25 a spin, contestants are guaranteed a prize worth at least $50.
Glass is excited about the food, too, which will include Caesar salads and macaroni and cheese. “We tried to provide…some degree of nutritional redemption,” she laughs, in partnership with Julia’s restaurants.
Of course there will be latkes — at the “Latkes of Love” booth, catered by Nosh Away and sponsored by Lisi and Rob Wolf, creators of the Oy Baby! music series, in memory of Sam Owen, the 13-year-old Seattle Hebrew Academy student who died of cancer on Oct. 21.
Glass says e-mails to the guild have increased dramatically since Sam’s untimely passing. Many who knew Sam and his family want to do “something to support Children’s” and acknowledge the care he received there.
Sadly, there will always be sick children, observes Glass, but The Big Spin helps the community support the hospital in a Jewish context.
“Children’s hospital is, in an a-
religious way, a holy place,” she says.
Kelly expects 250 active guilds will raise almost $10 million in the next fiscal year, mostly to defray the cost of uncompensated care. Uninsured and underinsured patients are projected to cost $100 million next year, compared to $38 million five years ago, “and this Hanukkah party is going to help,” she says.