There's heated competition in my neighborhood when it comes to birthday parties. Each outspends the last, and all the kids - not just the birthday boy or girl - leave with a armful of plastic toys they don't need. So when I came across ECHOage yesterday, I thought seriously about spamming my address book with it.
Created by two mothers frustrated by the waste that traditional birthday parties generate, ECHOage celebrates giving in a different way. Guests are invited to the party online, and - instead of buying a gift - they are asked to make a payment of $20. Half of the pooled money buys One Gift for the birthday child; the other half supports One Cause, such as Evergreen or Second Harvest. What's more, the parent of the birthday child gets an official tax receipt. Now that's worth buying a few soy wax candles for!
Where Children Celebrate Giving>>
I viewed the website and it is an outstanding idea whose time has come. The benefits to the environment are obvious, but the greatest gift that www.echoage.com teaches is charitable giving by young kids. They can learn to give to others while still celebrating their own birthday. A fantastic life lesson. Well done.
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