In honor of its 60th anniversary year, The Colorado Springs School (CSS) is spreading joy across the Pikes Peak region by helping individuals in need celebrate their own birthdays, too.
“We asked current CSS families to join us in an initiative aimed at collecting 60 Birthday bags so that those less fortunate could celebrate their big day just as our school has been doing,” said Head of School Tambi L. Tyler.
And, the challenge was met. CSS families donated 60 bags chock-full of Birthday essentials and goodies ranging from party hats, birthday candles, balloons, and favors to Little Debbie Birthday Cakes and $10 gift cards for use at local retail stores.
“You cannot celebrate without giving,” Tyler added. “Celebrating a birthday is the most important celebration in the life of children and adults. It shows that you matter. It gives worth and significance. We are fortunate to celebrate at CSS, and we want to be inclusive.”
The Colorado Springs School kicked off its 60th academic year on August 24, 2022. Established in 1962 by a group desiring to provide a strong, academically innovative, college-preparatory school for girls in Colorado Springs, CSS today is the only PreKindergarten through grade 12 private day and international school in the region.
On October 5, the school distributed one-third of all birthday bags collected to Mary's Home, a long-term shelter where mothers and their children may reside for one to five years. In addition, 20 bags were delivered to Little Angels in Need Charity, a non-profit organization that provides children’s clothing, toys, and necessities to families.
“This is an amazing donation,” said Little Angel Co-founder Janaya Belveal. “We do get a lot of requests for birthdays from parents who call and say, ‘I don’t have anything for my kids,’ so it will be a blessing in disguise just to give it to them. It gives me chills just thinking about it.”
The remaining 20 bags were delivered on October 21 to The Place, the only nonprofit organization in the Pikes Peak region solely focused on programs to support young people from ages 15 to 24 experiencing homelessness.
“It will mean so much to our clients to know people in the community are thinking of them on their birthdays,” said Zach Davis, business manager for The Place.
A big thank you to every member of the CSS family who delivered on this challenge. More on the history, present, and future of The Colorado Springs School can be found at www.css.org/about/60-years.
