children

Weekend picks in and around Washington, DC

December 2, 2022

It’s officially the holiday season and we have you covered from holiday shows, ballets and concerts to tree lightings and holiday markets, Hanukkah celebrations and lightings, and gift guides. Be sure to click the above links as there are plenty of events happening this weekend that are included in those posts.

All weekend

Have yourself a MERRI little holiday season with a visit to the annual Merriweather District Holiday Market opening this Friday. Support unique small businesses as you venture through a variety of holiday pop-ups from regional vendors. Warm up with hot cocoa from The Charmery, sip some wine in our outdoor wine chalet and enjoy carolers while checking off your holiday shopping list. ‘Tis the season to celebrate with Merriweather District! Hours for the weekend are: December 2nd: 5:30pm-8:30pm, December 3rd: 1:00pm-8:00pm and December 4th: 1:00pm-5:00pm.

National Landing BID’s upcoming NaLaDays festivities, starting December 1 and go through December 24. This weekend starts with a holiday market, the return of the BID’s 2nd annual peppermint mocha matte competition, a Christmas tree lot and more, there will be holiday cheer and fun for all ages in National Landing this year. PLUS, a light installation by Light Art Collection’s Belgian artists, Tom & Lien Dekyvere, Melwood’s Annual Miracle on 23rd Street celebration and a month-long holiday performance at Synetic Theater.

A Christmas season tradition: Messiah- G. F. Handel at The Washington National Cathedral. The Cathedral’s soaring architecture and Gothic splendor offers a venue unlike any other to experience Handel’s iconic work. Shortened “Family Edition” available on Saturday at noon. Live webcast available for Sunday’s performance.

Saturday

10:30am–11:30am: Children’s Drawing Workshop with Monica Rickert-Bolter
Artist Monica Rickert-Bolter (Prairie Band Potawatomi, Black, and German), featured in the museum’s online exhibition Ancestors Know Who We Are, demonstrates creating illustrations for books such as Journey of the Freckled Indian: A Tlingit Culture Story (2020). Participants are encouraged to make their own drawings during the workshop. Recommended for ages 5–10. Be sure to stop by the Native Art Market too!

11:00am-4:00pm: Super Stamps and the Season of Giving
Join the National Postal Museum for this all-ages event and learn more about how you can help support positive social change during the season of giving! There will be several activities, including Design Your Own Semipostal Stamp, Card Making, Shark Science and more.

11:00am: Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade
Alexandria was founded in 1749 by Scottish merchants and was named after Scotsman John Alexander who owned the land that became Alexandria. Today, the city continues celebrating its heritage with the iconic Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade on Saturday, December 3, 2022. Dozens of Scottish clans dressed in colorful tartans parade through the streets of Old Town, joined by pipe and drum bands from around the region, as well as terriers and hounds and more. This year’s Grand Marshal is Redella “Del” Pepper, the recently retired, longest-serving member of Alexandria City Council with more than 36 years of service to the community.

11:30am-3:00pm: In-Person Winter Holiday Family Day at Smithsonian American Art Museum
Celebrate the season with SAAM! Enjoy winter-themed crafting, face painting, and story time under the twinkle lights in the Kogod Courtyard. DeMoya Watson Brown will read The Nutcracker, the classic holiday story with Clara, her Nutcracker Prince, and the Sugar Plum Fairy on their remarkable adventures. Attendees of all ages can groove to the beat of DJ Harry Hotter, and embark on a scavenger hunt in the galleries to find winter-themed artworks. Participants also may take home an activities packet (while supplies last) to accompany The Nutcracker story time and continue the holiday magic. If you are unable to make it in person, or want to continue the celebration online, visit our Winter Holiday Family Zone for more crafts, coloring pages, and performance videos

11:30am-5:00pm: Holley Trolley Fest
In addition to Street Car Rides, Visit to Street Car Hall, and Movies from the 1920’s. Museum open from 11:30 to 5 p.m., with last tickets sold at 4 p.m. Santa & Mrs. Claus will be on each street car trip.

1:00pm-4:00pm: Winter Wonderland in Bethesda
Celebrate the holiday season at the Norfolk Avenue Streetery (corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues) in downtown Bethesda with Santa Claus, live ice sculpting, live music, face painting, games and more! Please bring a new toy for Toys for Tots.

4:00pm: Holiday Sing-A-Long at Wolf Trap
Kick off the holiday season with family and friends at Wolf Trap’s Annual Holiday Sing-A-Long! This musical celebration hosts a performance by the United States Marine Band and a Sing-A-Long of Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs with local choir and vocal groups from the metropolitan Washington area.

6:00pm-9:00pm: The District’s Holiday Boat Parade
The District’s Holiday Boat Parade presented by Washington Gas returns for its 30th year. Celebrate the holidays with one of DC’s most iconic and treasured traditions featuring a spectacular collection of more than 60 boats adorned with festive lights and dazzling holiday decorations on a mile-long parade route stretching from the tip of Hains Point up the Washington Channel to the docks at The Wharf.

Sunday (also happening on Saturday, same times)

1:00pm AND 4:00pm: Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed at Imagination Stage
A new, high-energy musical to rock the holiday season! When clothing suddenly falls from the sky, Wilbur J. Mole Rat stuns the colony with his decision to get dressed! In a community where baring is caring and skin is in, can Wilbur find the courage to rock to the rhythm of his own electric guitar? Based on Mo Willem’s beloved picture book, the show explores what can happen when we have the courage to be ourselves. Best for ages 4-10.

To do
Order tickets to see Aladdin at The National Theatre here! The show runs from April 19 – 30, 2023.

Related posts
Ice skating
Cut-your-own-tree
Ski and snowboard
Winter bucket list

Growth and development with thumb sucking, how orthodontics can help

May 1, 2020

Dr. Kathryn Clark is an orthodontist at Byrdsmiles Orthodontics and is offering her knowledge with Beltway Bambinos as it relates to orthodontics for children and adolescents. Dr. Talley, another orthodontist at Byrdsmiles Orthodontics shared a post in December about orthodontic care for patients and how the field has progressed and improved thanks to advances in research and technology.

Just as the Colorado River shaped the Grand Canyon, the muscles of your lips, cheeks and tongue work to shape your mouth and the way your teeth fit together.

With normal growth and development, your tongue rests on the roof of your mouth to keep the upper arch broader than the lower arch. Your upper and lower jaws both grow downward and forward as your face matures.

If you suck your thumb or a pacifier, it can reshape your mouth. Depending on the severity and duration of force, it can narrow your upper arch which can lead to a cross bite, where the upper teeth fit inside the lower teeth. This can cause facial asymmetry as you shift your jaw to one side to find a more comfortable place to bite down. The incidence of cross bite increases if a thumb habit persists beyond age 2. Prolonged thumb sucking can also procline your upper front teeth, or tilt them forward. Having your thumb between your teeth consistently can prevent full eruption of your upper front teeth and allow excess eruption of the posterior teeth leading to an anterior open bite, where your top teeth don’t overlap your bottom teeth at all. This can make it hard to bite into food and get the inside part of a sandwich! In the long term an anterior open bite can also increase the stress to the posterior teeth and make them more susceptible to fracture and periodontal issues. Stopping a thumb habit before the eruption of the permanent teeth reduces the chances of a bite problem developing.

Photo: Dental changes seen in a patient with significant thumb sucking habits

There are many ways to help stop a thumb habit. Frequently we’ll show a video of how your teeth can be moved with a prolonged thumb habit and the negative effects associated with it. Understanding why we want the habit to stop is an important part. Next we review options that can serve as reminders to help you stop sucking your thumb. This can include wearing a band aid on your thumb, wearing socks or mittens on your hand, putting an ace bandage on your elbow, or using Mavala Stop nail polish. The workbook What To Do When Bad Habits Take Hold can walk you through the self soothing effects of sucking your thumb and alternative ways to achieve those feelings. We can place an orthodontic appliance called a spinnerball appliance to help. This acts as a reminder whenever your thumb touches it and also provides an alternative of spinning the spinnerball with your tongue. The spinnerball is positioned to act as a target for the ideal position of your tongue at rest and during swallow. If needed, the spinnerball can be placed once the permanent first molars have erupted around age 6-7.

Photo: A spinnerball appliance in place to help deter a thumb habit

If your thumb is frequently present between your teeth, your tongue positions itself low on the floor of your mouth. Some people will thrust their tongue forward between their teeth when swallowing, called a tongue thrust swallow. These can contribute to an anterior open bite. To help combat these things, we frequently work with a myofunctional therapist, a speech therapist who specializes in proper position and function of the muscles of your mouth. The myofunctional therapist will give you exercises to help retrain your muscles to function properly.

At Byrdsmiles, we have been excited about the results we have been able to achieve using Invisalign and myofunctional therapy to help close anterior open bites. In the past, orthognathic surgery was often considered to close anterior open bites. Now often times we can get the anterior teeth to overlap by intruding the posterior teeth with Invisalign and reguiding the tongue to prevent reopening of the bite.

Photo: Before and after photo of a patient treated with Invisalign at Byrdsmiles Orthodontics

By looking at the causative factors in a developing occlusion, we are best able to guide the teeth into their most functional and esthetic position. If you want to find out more about how your oral health can be improved with orthodontic treatment, please visit our office!

At Byrdsmiles Orthodontics we would love the opportunity to get to know you and answer your questions. Please call us to schedule a complimentary new patient exam. You can also find us on Google, Facebook, and Rate a biz.

Location: 4110 River Rd. NW Washington, DC 20016
Phone: (202) 686-2108

Certifikid’s Camp Scholarship Program

March 26, 2019

CertifiKID, the first deal website geared specifically towards families, announced a Camp Scholarship Program last year and when I heard about it I had to get the word out. Summer camp is such an amazing experience that all children should be able to participate in. CertifiKID’s Camp Scholarship Program launched in 2018 and provided 24, $250 camp scholarships to local children in need for the summer of 2018. This year through the program they will provide a minimum of 34, $250 scholarships for 2019! Additional scholarships may be funded through community contributions. I had the chance to do a q+a with CertifiKID Founder and CEO, Jamie Ratner, which I hope will allow you to understand the concept of CertifiKID more as well as be inspired to pass along the information to a family you think could benefit from applying to the camp scholarship program!

How did CertifiKID begin?

CertifiKID began in 2010 when my kids were just babies. I had a blog where I wrote about foods and finds in the D.C. area and first discovered this new site called Groupon. I thought it was a super cool concept but did not have anything for me as a new mom. I decided to take the concept and spin it so there would be opportunities for moms to try new things with their kids and find family-friendly businesses and activities in the D.C. area. From day one it just exploded and the rest is history. We now work with thousands of businesses throughout the country and run offers in cities nationwide. However, the D.C. area is still the heart of the business, and at this point, we believe we are a household name in the area for families.

What are some insider tips for readers to get the most from CertifiKID?

1) CertifiKID has a super responsive customer service/sales team and we actually jump on requests from customers. If there is something you are looking for a deal on, email us or send us a message via our Facebook page and we will go after it right away for you!

2) We are on top of the NEW businesses launching, so always be sure to check the website to be the first to find out about them and get great discounts when they first open.

3) We would never rerun an offer that had bad reviews from our customers. If you see a business featured over and over again, this means they are a valued partner with great customer service and glowing reviews from our customers.

4) We do have a limit on some of our offers, so if it is something SUPER exciting you should buy it quickly so you aren’t disappointed.

What services or programs exist now that didn’t when CertifiKID began?

So much has changed over these past 8 years. When we started not everyone even had a smartphone! Also, in the kids’ world, I would say at least 25% of the vendors have gone out of business. When I first started, bounce places would sell amazing, now it has shifted to trampoline places. Also, I remember the first time we ran a LEGO camp it sold INSANE…now everyone does a LEGO camp and it’s not unique anymore.

What was the motivation on creating this summer camp scholarship program?

My husband and I are HUGE camp people. We spent every summer of our childhoods at camp – even coming back over the summers during college to work as counselors. Now our kids attend camp and we see the HUGE impact and benefits it has for them – increasing their confidence, resilience, and independence. We want all kids to have this opportunity, especially children from low income or financially vulnerable families who don’t have the resources to provide them with enriching summer experiences. Camp is most important for these families in order to make sure their kids stay engaged and physically active over the summer months.

For more information on the summer camp scholarship program click here. You can scroll to the bottom of the page to apply to the program or make a contribution.

If selected, children will be able to choose from this great list of summer camps.

Create Valentine’s Day cards for pediatric patients through Eliana’s Light

January 17, 2019

Join Beltway Bambinos and other members of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia communities in the 4th Annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids and Cookies for Caregivers initiative that Eliana’s Light is organizing.

Eliana’s Light is a local non-profit organization that supports families with children who have complex medical conditions by focusing on their whole health and well-being. They connect directly with families through customized gift bags, learning events, and online communications; advocate for and raise awareness on whole health, integrative, and integrated approaches to care; and exchange information and resources with caregivers, practitioners, and researchers. They help children and their caregivers feel better while they contribute to a whole health and family-centered approach to pediatrics. A big part of their work involves engaging community members in service projects that support these local families. Collaboratively, community members throughout our region come together to show they care. We hope you can join us!

WHAT: The Annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids & Cookies for Caregivers involves volunteers (of all ages) who make cards for children that will be in the hospital over Valentine’s Day. The initiative also includes making or sending in cookies for the caregivers who support these children. We want the recipients of both to know that members of their community are thinking of them and sending them best wishes. The cards are only for the kids, and should include uplifting messages. The cookies are only for the caregivers (due to the children’s specific dietary needs) and are from healthy-ish nut-free recipes. Some participating groups are only making cards, and some are only making cookies; don’t feel obligated to do both.

WHO: Eliana’s Light will pick up the cards and/or cookies from participating groups, and deliver them to staff at Children’s National Medical Center, Inova Children’s Hospital, HSC’s Pediatric Center, the Children’s Inn at NIH, and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The staff members then disseminate the cards to patients and the cookies to their caregivers (i.e., parents and staff members). You are also welcome to drop them off after coordinating with Whitney; the heart, dedication and kindness behind Eliana’s Light.

HOW: Here are a few ways you can participate:

Organize a group of friends for a Valentine’s Day card and/or cookie making party at your house.

-If your group will be making cards, the following is some guidance for your consideration:
Hospital staff have cleared the following messages for inclusion in the Valentine’s Day cards: “You are loved”; “You are surrounded by love”; “I believe in you”; “You are strong and brave”; “I wish you the very best”; “You rock”; “I am thinking of you and sending you love”; “You inspire me”; “You are awesome”; “I hope you have a great day today”; “Be brave”; and “Always remember how awesome you are”. We welcome any way participating kids would like to sign their cards. For example, they can be signed, “First name, grade, school name”, or “X-grader, school name, city name”, or “X-grader, city name”. We’d love some kind of signature to personalize the cards.

-If your group will be making cookies, we’re especially looking for nut-free and low-sugar recipes that will give a tasty boost to caregivers.

Ask your child’s teacher if their class would be interested in making Valentine’s Day cards to support kids and caregivers who will be at these pediatric medical centers in our region. Teachers often discuss topics such as empathy, volunteering, and kindness with their participating students.
Donate any supplies you may have for making cards. We welcome red, white, and pink construction paper; glue sticks; stickers; and kid scissors. No glitter please.
Share your favorite nut-free, low-sugar, low-cost, and easy-to-make cookie recipes you think caregivers would enjoy.
Make a financial donation to help Eliana’s Light cover the cost of providing some card-making supplies to participating non-profit organizations

WHEN: If you’re interested in participating or supporting this initiative, please email your interest to both myself and Whitney and we will coordinate directly with you. We will need to collect all items by the end of the day on Sunday, Feb. 10th.

Thank you in advance; I was blown away last year by how many readers participated and shared this post. #Lovewins

Transition back to work after maternity leave with Mindful Return

October 30, 2018

Lori Mihalich-Levin, JD, is the founder of Mindful Return and creator of the Mindful Return Course, a 4-week online program that helps women make the transition back to work after maternity leave. 40 companies now offer her program to their new mom and new dad employees as a parental leave benefit. She is also the author of the book Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave. Mihalich-Levin is a partner in the health care group at Dentons US LLP and is also Mom to two beautiful red-headed boys.

Imagine for a moment: you are pregnant and completely giddy about the prospect of becoming mom to a beautiful new baby. (And yes, of course, exhausted and you have crazy amounts of heartburn.)

Or you just recently brought a precious new life into the world, and time stands still while you’re gazing into those baby eyes, smitten with love. (And fatigue.)

And imagine you’ve had, to this point, a career with an upward trajectory. You work hard, take pride in your progress, have built a solid professional reputation, and you’re passionate about your job. You intend to return to the office when your maternity leave ends. But you’re just not quite sure how all of this is going to work out.

“WAIT!”, you say. That’s not imaginary. That’s me.
[Read more…]

Why choose a pediatric dentist for your child?

July 3, 2018

Dr. Karen Benitez, founder & designer, board certified pediatric dentist at Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry will be writing a series of guest posts related to adolescent dentistry and questions she frequently receives from patients that may be of interest to you. If you have a topic you’d like to see her feature, leave it in the comments.

The first post is one that many parents wonder about; whether it is necessary for your child to visit a pediatric dentist and how the experience will differ from just taking them to the dentist you see.

Why a pediatric dentist?

As a board certified pediatric dentist, this is a question I’m often asked here at Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry. Most families will be quick to notice a difference in the environment of pediatric dental office specific to kids, much like a pediatricians office would be. The primary elements of a pediatric dental environment are visual, sensory, emotional and tactile acceptability.

At Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry, our office is different and you will see and feel it from the moment you enter through our door. Our entire office was designed specifically to build the most comfortable atmosphere to meet the needs of our young patients. It is alive with colors, toys and even a separate nook just for kids to explore and play during their short wait. A trip to the dentist should be fun, after all!

Beyond the aesthetics and environment, as pediatric dentists we are educated in the unique needs of children and adolescents, and children with special needs. Our studies extend an additional two to three years beyond our general dental school education in pediatric growth and development, orthodontic development and behavior management techniques and more. We are dedicated to the dental needs of even the youngest of children and it is ALL. WE. DO.

Parents will often ask me at what age to bring their child in. To this I say, earlier is better! Our first few exams after your child’s 1^st birthday are aimed at a familiarity with brushing approach, technique and frequency. Your child is cradled between our laps in what is called a knee to knee exam. During this exam, I evaluate for the sequence of teeth that are erupting and guide you on best measures for providing comfort. I like to demonstrate with my parents even the amount of fluoridated toothpaste with a direct visual. Many parents express hesitations towards brushing, and a surprise when I mention flossing, yes, flossing! I am here with you from the beginning to provide guidance on a very important task. As a mother of three, I offer relatability and experience and I like to share my observations.

Here at Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry, we understand good vibes! We encourage our patients to touch, feel, ask questions and share feedback. All this in the interest of introducing the entire dental experience in the friendliest of manners. We introduce our language for all dental instruments in terms kids just get. We “tickle teeth”, use “power washes”, spit into “magic straws”, make “silly smiles” and wear “silly masks”. You get the picture!

As your child grows with us, we will address various subjects. Cavities themselves are the number one question parents express. I like to share with my families any patterns I see that may lend to higher risks. My parents often sit in close-proximity to their child as I am very much an educator! I like to have parents fully engaged in the exam to visually understand any concerns I might have. Kids benefit from this as I only see them twice a year…really, that’s not often.

Crowding is the second runner up in the matter of parental concerns. Yes, I do agree, we all go through a time-period where our child’s appearance begs the question of how all these big teeth could possibly fit in their mouth! I like to assure my parents that kids will grow three dimensionally and that what is more important is a balance between the dental arches, the path of eruption of the teeth and the possibility of early loss of proximal baby teeth. We often work with orthodontists for an early assessment.

Hygiene and dietary habits are other common concerns. Our mouths are the entryway to the rest of our bodies and our beautiful, pearly-white teeth certainly take the brunt of all our food choices. I like to guide parents in what food choices, per age group, are most prevalent in high risk patterns, as well as teaching guides to help your youngster understand what a successful brushing session achieves.

Our dental needs evolve with each decade and we as pediatric dentists are focused on the early, most impressionable ages, to establish a familiarity with oral health practices that carry confidently into their adult lives. Kids are not adults and we cater to their unique needs and approach. It is important to me that my patients feel at home in our office and with the staff. I am delighted that my parents do feel so welcome in my office. My goal at Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry is that our families feel they are family. Our enthusiasm in what we do cannot be curbed. IT. IS. PALPABLE.

We welcome your child to come into our office and have a look. Please, stop by and check us out!

You can also find us as Bethesda Magazine’s Face of Pediatric Dentistry, view our Top Docs video below and read our stellar reviews! Follow us on Facebook to learn more about what Chevy Chase Pediatric Dentistry is all about…focusing on your kids.

-Dr. Karen Benitez, DDS

Location: 8401 Connecticut Ave #650 Chevy Chase, MD. 20815
Phone: 301-272-1246

CertifiKID announces Summer Camp Scholarship Program for 20+ children

March 7, 2018

CertifiKID, the first deal website geared specifically towards families, announced a Camp Scholarship Program and when I heard about it I had to get the word out. Summer camp is such an amazing experience that all children should be able to participate in. CertifiKID’s Camp Scholarship Program will provide a minimum of 20, $250 camp scholarships for summer 2018. Additional scholarships may be funded through community contributions. I had the chance to do a q+a with CertifiKID Founder and CEO, Jamie Ratner, which I hope will allow you to understand the concept of CertifiKID more as well as be inspired to pass along the information to a family you think could benefit from applying to the camp scholarship program!

How did CertifiKID begin?

What are some insider tips for readers to get the most from CertifiKID?

2) We are on top of the NEW businesses launching, so always be sure to check the website to be the first to find out about them and get great discounts when they first open.

4) We do have a limit on some of our offers, so if it is something SUPER exciting you should buy it quickly so you aren’t disappointed.

What services or programs exist now that didn’t when CertifiKID began?

What was the motivation on creating this summer camp scholarship program?

You can also learn more about the summer camp scholarship program and see the announcement made by Jamie and her family here.

For more information on the summer camp scholarship program click here. You can scroll to the bottom of the page to apply to the program or make a contribution.

If selected, children will be able to choose from this great list of summer camps.

Create Valentine’s Day cards for patients at Children’s National Medical Center

January 23, 2018

(Photo: The Chirping Moms)

Join Beltway Bambinos, Bloom OB/GYN, Nanny Network, Spring Valley Pediatrics, and Stork Childbirth Education in the 3rd Annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids and Cookies for Caregivers initiative organized by Eliana’s Light.

Eliana’s Light is a local non-profit organization that supports integrative health for children with complex medical conditions and their caregivers through the provision of integrative care services. They focus on helping to reduce the stress, pain, fear, trauma, anxiety, and depression that many of these kids and their caregivers often experience. They want to improve the wellness and well-being of the entire family.

Kids and their caregivers are making cards for kids and cookies for caregivers who have to be in the hospital over Valentine’s Day. It’s a great opportunity to show the recipients others are thinking of them and sending them best wishes over the holiday. The cards are only for the kids and the cookies are only for the caregivers (due to the children’s specific dietary needs). The cookies should be healthy-ish nut-free recipes, and the cards will include uplifting messages. Some participating groups are only making cards, and some are only making cookies. You choose what works for you!

Eliana’s Light will pick up the cards and cookies from participating groups, and deliver them to staff at Children’s National Medical Center who will distribute them to patients and their caregivers.

Here are a few ways you can participate!

Organize a group of friends for a Valentine’s Day card and/or cookie making party at your house.*
Ask your child’s teacher if their class would be interested in making Valentine’s Day cards to support kids at Children’s National Medical Center. Teachers often discuss topics such as empathy, volunteering, and kindness with their participating students and this is a great way to connect with those topics. (See Beltway Bambinos’ Pinterest page if you need some ideas on easy to make cards and crafts.)
Donate any supplies you may have for making cards. We welcome red, white, and pink construction paper; glue sticks; stickers; and kid scissors. No glitter please 🙂
Make a financial donation to help Eliana’s Light cover the cost of providing some card-making supplies to participating non-profit organizations.

*If your group will be making cards, the following is some guidance for your consideration:
Hospital staff have cleared the following messages for inclusion in the Valentine’s Day cards: “You are loved”; “You are surrounded by love”; “I believe in you”; “You are strong and brave”; “I wish you the very best”; “You rock”; “I am thinking of you and sending you love”; “You inspire me”; “You are awesome”; “I hope you have a great day today”; “Be brave”; and “Always remember how awesome you are”.We welcome any way participating kids would like to sign their cards. For example, they can be signed, “First name, grade, school name”, or “X-grader, school name, city name”, or “X-grader, city name”. We’d love some kind of signature to personalize the cards.

If you’re interested in participating or supporting this initiative, please email your interest to both BeltwayBambinos@gmail.com and info@elianaslight.org. We will coordinate directly with you. We will need to collect all items by the end of the day on Feb. 11th.

We’re pleased to share that more than 300 people from schools, businesses, and non-governmental organizations are already participating in 5 states! Thank you to CCBC Preschool, Darien Elementary School, Garrett Park Preschool, Glenbrook Middle School, Mason-Rice School, Miner Elementary, Murch Elementary School, The River School, Springbrook High School, Spring Hill Elementary School, Tubman Elementary, and Thomson Elementary who have participating classes.