A woman from Niverville wants to help ensure that every child in Niverville has a birthday to remember, regardless of their family’s circumstances. To make sure that happens, Nicole Savard is reaching out to her fellow townspeople and asking for some help.
“Over the Christmas break, I started to wonder how children feel when they don’t have any celebration and how birthdays can be financially difficult, if not impossible, for some parents or guardians,” Savard says. “We have such a loving and generous community, which made me believe that if I could tap into that love and generosity, then children and their families could have a special birthday celebration.”
Savard’s plan is to provide any parent with a child turning 17 or younger with two gifts, a cake, a balloon bouquet, and paper plates and napkins if needed. The parent or guardian doesn’t have to explain their circumstances and Savard will not reveal their identity to anyone.
Savard hopes to create a database of donors through which she can rotate. That way, every time a birthday request comes in, she can go to the next people on her list and ask for their help. She also hopes to eventually create a small committee so that if she’s ever unable to organize an event, there will be other people available to step up.
There are already several donors lined up to help. A few bakers in town have volunteered to make cakes and Pizza 311 has generously offered to provide a gift card to add to each child’s gift.
Now Savard needs help to keep this plan in motion. She’s hoping to have members of the community or business owners commit to buying a gift or balloon bouquet. She would also gratefully accept monetary donations so she can purchase those items herself.
“I know how special birthdays are,” Savard says. “They should be something to look forward to.”
If you would like to help or request a birthday celebration for your child, you can email Savard at nicolesavard77@hotmail.com.
