Brookings Man Works To Help Needy Kids Have Happy Birthdays

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — For the past month, families across Brookings County have been finding a surprise on their doorsteps: a big blue box with a birthday cake and a gift or two inside, all with a balloon attached.

It’s called the Big Blue Birthday Box, and it’s Nick Wendell’s effort to give young children in need a happy birthday.

The idea first came about when the Brookings man was busy planning out his own daughter’s birthday.

“Just thinking about all of the challenges that come with planning a birthday party, no matter how simple you want it to be,” he told the Brookings Register ( ). That includes paying for the cake, treats, decorations and gifts to make the day special.

But then he thought of how that could all compound the frustrations for a family that’s struggling financially. For parents already under pressure to keep the car’s gas tank or fridge full, taking on a birthday party can become a challenge.

And even though it might seem superficial, this can make a difference for a child.

“For a child to sit in front of a birthday cake with candles and think about the hope you have when you blow out those candles on your cake as a little kid and what’s in that wish, there’s so much joy in that,” Wendell said. “To me, the Birthday Box delivers that kind of (optimism) to a little kid and implants that in their mind that there is hope out there and a ton of people who care about them and are cheering them on. That’s the coolest part of the Big Blue Birthday Box to me.”

Wendell began the program by talking with the Department of Social Services. “They said there’s a need in our community. There are programs like this in our community, but they aren’t serving or filling the need around birthdays.”

Even though the Department of Social Services isn’t affiliated with or running the program, staffers were excited about the idea and were willing to help. Describing their role as a go-between, Wendell said they’ve been a valuable resource in finding families in need and making them aware of the Birthday Box.

Families interested in the program are able to fill out a form that provides information on the child’s age, gender, address and a wish list with a $20 to $25 price range.

The Big Blue Birthday Box is intended for children ages 2-12. At those ages, Wendell thinks he can make the most impact. Beyond the age range, there are no real restrictions or standards in place, even in terms of financial need.

“I guess it’s not really my job to determine if a family needs it because I think there are all kinds of needs out there,” he said. “If a parent feels like they might struggle to provide a birthday celebration for their child on their birthday, and the Big Blue Birthday Box helps them to do that, then I think our job has been done.”

But other groups have stepped up and helped Wendell make the Birthday Box possible.

Hy-Vee provides a cake for every box. Party Depot gives a helium balloon and party supplies such as birthday-themed plates, forks and napkins.

First Bank & Trust and the Lehlula Lee Foundation have helped by giving monetary donations, which help Wendell buy gifts.

Also included as gifts are family passes to a Brookings Blizzard hockey game.

The box itself is from Cleanslate Design+Print, which came up with the logo and prints out the boxes.

Even though he only started doing deliveries in January, he’s already delivered 25 Birthday Boxes so far, and he estimates he’ll have delivered 250-300 boxes this year.

It’s an almost daily activity for him, and he’s the only person running the program, although he will soon be looking for volunteers to help in various ways.

“The need is much larger than I anticipated. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I’d been involved in a number of service projects and organizations in the community, so I knew there was a need,” he said.

Just how much need there was still took him by surprise.

“So many people have asked how can I help or how can my organization help? There are so many ways,” he said. Volunteers will soon be needed to help with such tasks as wrapping gifts, drivers to deliver the boxes and perhaps others to help organize fundraising events and toy drives.

It might come as a surprise that Wendell makes a point of not being present with the kids and families when he delivers the Big Blue Birthday Box.

“I try to do it anonymously for a couple of reasons. I try to deliver it at a time of day when the family’s not there so the child can come home and it can really feel like a surprise,” he said. “I feel it’s more exciting to see the box there with the balloon bouncing right outside your door. That seems more unique than a person handing it to them.

“I also want parents and families to be able to present these to children as if it’s from them if they want to. If I deliver it, then the gig is up. But if a mom wants to give the Big Blue Birthday Box to her child as though she got it herself, I think that’s even cooler.”

Tossing some ideas around, he also suggested making a kind of birthday tradition out of donating to the Birthday Box or requesting donations for it instead of gifts for a birthday party.

In the near future, he said he’d like to have a kind of buy-one , give-one program set up, where parents can buy a box for their children, which would fund another box to be sent to a child in need.

Wendell also hopes his blue box catches on in other communities.

“I hope it can exist in other communities eventually, and that I can help to launch it in towns throughout South Dakota. I’ve already had conversations with folks in Sioux Falls to Rapid City to smaller communities in South Dakota that love the idea,” he said. On a smaller scale, he’d like to set up a dedicated website for it, so that charitable people could have a safe means of making an online donation.

“I think the Big Blue Birthday Box is a great program for children to be reminded of how special they are,” he said. “Also, as the dad to a 7-year-old, I think it is a phenomenal program for families to know that people are thinking about them as parents and wanting to make their jobs a little bit easier.”

For his daughter’s birthday on Valentine’s Day, Wendell was able to provide a celebration with gifts and cupcakes.

He said, “It was wonderful to be able to do that, but as a parent, I can tell you that if I wasn’t able to do that, it would hurt me deeply. I think the Big Blue Birthday Box serves not only children, but it serves their parents when they’re in a rough patch, and we’re happy to do that.”

___

Information from: Brookings Register,