A Belated Birthday Party

That Was Worth The Wait

By Shannon Hicks

Michael Long turned 8 years old about nine weeks ago, but it wasn’t until just recently that his family pulled out all the stops and celebrated his big day.

Like many children, Michael, the son of Gina and Mike Long, decided to have a theme party. What set Michael apart, however, is that his theme wasn’t Spider-Man, Shrek, or any of the other popular themes of today. Instead, Michael wanted to have a birthday party that doubled as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

 “Michael is a very sensitive boy,” Gina Long said recently while the birthday party was still in its planning stages. “He is very concerned about the world and the feelings of other people. He says Grace before every meal, including snacks, and is very thankful for what he has.

“In January, I simply suggested that it might be a good idea for his birthday if he could ask his friends to support a local charity,” Mrs Long continued. “He thought it was a great idea [and] shortly after the decision was made, we became involved with the Relay [For Life], which was held for the first time in Newtown on June 12-13, and the rest is history.”

Michael’s birthday party was held two weekends before the Relay For Life event at Newtown High School, on May 29. Family and friends of all ages were invited to enjoy traditional birthday party fare and activities. There was a 35-foot moonbounce with rock climbing wall and slide, tables for spin art, sand art, and making balls from sponges, and plenty of cake, ice cream, and picnic foods for everyone.

Michael’s biggest request for the day was that instead of bringing gifts for him, guests were asked to bring donations of any size for the American Cancer Society.

The weather on Saturday, May 29, was perfect, and nearly 60 people enjoyed the birthday party/fundraiser. Guests included siblings and cousins, plus friends from Sandy Hook, Hawley, and Head O’ Meadow schools, and Cub Scout Pack 570.

Members of the community backed the Long family’s wish to help others. Rob Frangione, the owner of Coach’s Deli in Sandy Hook, donated a four-foot-long Italian hero sandwich; Pampered Chef consultant Sue Marcinek donated food and money for the event; and Robin Brindley, of Premier Designs Jewelry, hosted a show during the party and donated 50 percent of the day’s sales to ACS.

The town’s two supermarkets each offered a $25 food credit toward the picnic, Super Fun Inflatables discounted the cost of renting the moonbounce, and St Rose Church loaned tables and chairs from its parish hall to the Longs so that the family would not have to incur the cost of renting them.

Friends of Gina and Mike Long also donated their time, volunteering to supervise the art and crafts tables, face painting, and even keeping an adult eye on all the playing that was taking place in the Longs’ backyard.

After all the work that went into planning the party and the enjoyment everyone had during the event, Michael went to last weekend’s Relay For Life event with a donation of $1,288.