Party like it’s 2025
“The kids were turnt up this month,” I heard one mother say with excitement and gratitude as I walked down the hall to leave the last monthly birthday party celebration at Sarah’s Hope for 2024.
As a volunteer party host for Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected; but I must admit, I hadn’t foreseen the circumstances that surrounded November’s birthday parties.
The weather was yucky. I tried to teach native Baltimoreans how to do one of my favorite B-more club dances knowing good and well I’m not a coordinated dancer. It was a Spongebob Squarepants-themed party, so a Spongebob dance activity was only appropriate, right? (Thankfully, no volunteers were injured in the dance-off!)
However, this wasn’t the biggest surprise of the evening. Want to know what was?
It was that EVERYONE wanted to come to the party.
I know some of you reading might be asking, “How is this a surprise?”
To that, I say: “Clearly, you have never been to an EO Birthdays party.”
For the November birthdays celebration, the activity room at Sarah’s Hope felt more popular than the exclusive club Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell desperately wanted to enter in A Night at The Roxbury. We had toddlers, tweenagers and their parents anxiously awaiting for the proverbial doors to open and to get their chance to play games, get a slice of cake and receive one of our highly coveted balloons. In contrast to the club bouncers in that comedic film, though, we don’t want to turn away people from our parties, and I am grateful to say that we don’t.
Every child that lives at Sarah’s Hope knows that they are cool enough to be invited to our exclusive parties. Also, they know that one day they will literally be the life of the party, because it will be a party held to celebrate their own birthday.
“You know it’s a good party when everyone wants to be there,” I thought as I settled into my car that November evening.
As I continue to reflect on our last party of 2024 and my first year of volunteering for Extra-Ordinary Birthdays, I am grateful for the surprises that each party can bring.
My hope for 2025 is that we’re able to bring more people to the party to celebrate and make the birthday honorees feel special.
By Keiana Greene-Page