A New Pay-It-Forward Christmas Tradition

I've seen people like Live for 175 superstar, Stephanie L., doing a Random Acts of Christmas Kindness daily challenge for Christmas and other families posting pictures of their own children donating gifts to Toys for Tots.  They inspired me to start a new "giving" tradition of my own. 

2016 brought me my 6th anniversary of working with Kekeluv at 103.5 KISS FM.  Growing up, I always wished I had an older brother and well, I found one in Keke when I moved to Boise.  If you listened to us while we did mornings together, you know he can push my buttons but he also challenges me to do things I didn't think I could do myself.  He's one of my best friends...and one of the most difficult people to shop for on my Christmas list!  The man knows all the coolest gadget gifts on the market before anyone else so it's impossible to surprise him. And when I do find something funny for him, he never opens it! (Seriously, his gifts from last year are still wrapped up under our tree in the studio.) So this year I came up with a new idea!

While my friend Kimberly and I were making cork ornaments for a cause at Ste. Chapelle, that's when the idea hit me!  What if I made some ornaments and sold them for a charity? What if I made that donation to a charity near and dear to someone's heart as a Christmas gift? What if that person was Keke?!

I made two dozen cinnamon-apple ornaments and sold them through Facebook last week.  I raised a little over $120 and donated that money in his, Paige and Lennox's name to the St. Luke's Children's Hospital.  If you know Keke, you know his son Lennox has had some health challenges over the past year.  His family spent more time than they would've liked to at St. Luke's trying to overcome them and I know he's thankful to the team of doctors and nurses that were by Lennox's side the entire way.  That's why I thought this might be a cool Christmas gift that's more useful than an oversized cow bell or Darth Vader watch!

I plan on making this an annual gift.  Next year I'll choose another friend and another charity to surprise. It's a new tradition I hope to keep alive for many years to come!