Monthly Birthday Program Expanding in Marlow

by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard

Since the 2015-2016 school year, Beautiful Day has hosted 40 birthday parties at Marlow Elementary School. That amounts to over 2500 soft drinks, birthday cards, and Beautiful Day bracelets for children throughout the school year, and 2500 students who have been told, “The day you were born was a beautiful day.”

One day a month, Beautiful Day volunteers arrive at the Elementary school cafeteria to decorate, prepare, and serve lunch and cupcakes to students whose birthday is that month. Volunteers spend the lunch period visiting with students and singing “Happy Birthday.”

Of the 15 programs in seven counties, Marlow Elementary’s is the largest and is continuing to expand; that means a few changes are coming to the Beautiful Day program in Marlow.

Jessica Garvin, liaison for the Marlow program, announced this week that she will be sharing responsibilities with Ginger Wood and that Skye Wortham is being added to the core team. “It made a lot of sense,” Garvin said. “Since we are the biggest school that Beautiful Day celebrates.”

Garvin added that the numbers will keep getting bigger this school year. “We are celebrating pre-K this year,” she said. “[We] are partnering with some local bakers to make sure these kiddos get monthly cupcakes.”

“We also have Dana White who makes gluten free/dairy free cupcakes each month,” Garvin added. “And Linda Hutson who takes care of our peanut free kiddos.” Garvin also said that Duncan Regional Hospital donates approximately 650 cupcakes each month to the Beautiful Day program in Marlow. “It’s incredible and still blows my mind.”

“We are often asked how the community can help support the program,” Garvin added. “The kids get so excited to see community members wearing these Beautiful Day shirts in the cafeteria to celebrate them. The first way the community can support them is to sign up to be a volunteer.”

Garvin and Wood will be working in the community to raise funds to ensure Beautiful Day Marlow can be sustained for future Outlaws. “Typically by December, we like to have the rest of the year paid for an half of next year,” Garvin said.

Garvin said that community members who would like to volunteer or donate may do so at the organization’s website, beautifuldayfoundation.net.