A Scary Good Cause – BOO to You!

Every once in a while, I have a moment when I revel in the genius of fundraisers.  Having been in the ‘business’ for longer than I care to admit, I have grown a little numb to traditional fundraising appeals.  That’s why, when we woke up on October 1 to discover that we had been “BOO-ed” for Children’s, I knew I had to share. The thing that makes this idea so great is that lots of families in our area “BOO” their neighbors and friends already.  My kids take great pleasure in sneaking over to their friends’ houses to deliver an anonymous bucket of Halloween goodies (sneaking is relative here given the advent of doorbell cameras, but you get the idea…), and we wait anxiously for our own mysterious haunting every Halloween.  So to connect BOOing with such a great cause just warms the cockles of my creative-charity-loving heart.

Children’s Health (the parent organization of Children’s Medical Center and its affiliate network) is the gold standard for pediatric healthcare both in the Dallas community and around the country.  Children’s serves more than 298,000 patients every year, and no one is turned away due to financial hardship.  Both of my kids have been treated at Children’s as have several of my other favorite kids in the world, each with their own testimony about the greatness of Children’s. Because Children’s is a special place – a really special place.  And I want to be clear in my bias here – I love Children’s, and we support it in every way we can.

Back to the BOO! (and booze if you’re sipping a potent potable whilst perusing this post), here’s how it works: Now through the end of the month, you can reserve your sign online (click here to check it out) and pick it up from your nearest purveyor of scary signs (conveniently listed by neighborhood and zip code on the order page). The donation per sign is $20, and you deduct the entire ‘cost’ thanks to a generous underwriter.  I spent less than 30 minutes total on the logistics (order time & drive time), and it was well worth it.   Don’t worry, my ghouls – you should still leave a little treat for the boo you BOO, but, with the Children’s program this Halloween, it’s even more meaningful because your donation will also provide special treats for Children’s patients. 2018 marks the first year for Buy a BOO in Dallas, but a similar program raised more than $100,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta last year.  I can’t wait to see the growth and impact of this program on the lives of kids, especially at Halloween.

If “BOO-ing” isn’t your thing (or you’ve come across this post at another time of year), there are many other ways to support Children’s.  There’s National Cape Day in November, the Red Balloon Run & Ride in April, and other opportunities for volunteering and creative charity.  The point is that whether it’s Children’s or another favorite nonprofit, your support is always meaningful and will go a long way towards cultivating care in our communities.  And there’s nothing scary about that!

Also, since you’ve taken the time to read all the way through this post, can I just say that I’ve resisted every urge to inject horrible Halloween puns throughout?  I mean, I know there are a few sprinkled here and there, but I think I have demonstrated tremendous restraint given the subject matter.  So, because #momjokes are their own reward, I present two of my Halloween favorites…

What do you call a vampire that lives in the kitchen?
Count Spatula

Knock knock.
Who’s there?
BOO.
BOO who?
Don’t cry.  It’s only a joke.  Or an amazing way to support Children’s!

Click here to learn more about Children’s Health.  And here to find out about opportunities to support the great work they do for kids.