‘Mom Prom’ charity’s Sunday event is for the kids
A bounce house, face painting, obstacle courses and more during SCCC's Kindness Carnival at Saratoga Winery.
The moms who kick up their heels at Mom Prom now have a way to let their children in on the fun. A brand-new fundraiser for the nonprofit — Saratoga County Children’s Committee (SCCC) — most famous for its mom’s night out bash debuts Sunday (August 10) at The Saratoga Winery .
The Kindness Carnival, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is the brainchild of the winery’s owner, Annie Brill, who flexed her events planning muscle to singlehandedly put together the fun afternoon that features face painting and balloon twisting.
“I wanted to do something that was kid-centric,” she says. “So I've got a bubble house from Adirondack Balloon Company and a bounce house from Party House Rentals. I've got the Dance Lab and Max Level Fitness doing obstacle courses and some other cool stuff, too.”
Through a web of sponsorships and donations, all activities are covered, allowing 100% of the ticket sales ($15 for unlimited play; adults are free) to go directly to the kids via the SCCC — which helps 1,000 children a year with basic needs such as school supplies and clothes.
Brill has been working with the SCCC for years, having previously hosted Sneakerfest at the winery to raise money for new kicks for school for children in need.
“Part of the reason that the organization is so close to my heart is because it's 100% volunteer based and there's no brick and mortar,” Brill says of the SCCC. “The overhead is so low that so much of the dollars raised goes back to the actual kids. It’s a great organization. They're so wonderful.”
Showing her own two kids — Peter, 9, and Mitzie, 6 — how to give back was hugely important to Brill, which helped lead to the “Kindness” name of the carnival.
“I'm always thinking about ways to show my kids how to be a part of and support our community,” she says. “I like to show them how our society functions so much better with an active and vibrant community.”
Brill stresses that the event is super-casual — no reservations needed. The winery and its full-service restaurant will be open for food.
“The kiddos get unlimited play and unlimited access to all of the entertainment and attractions and can stay for as long or as little as they like,” Brill says. “We’ll have cornhole and our giant Connect 4. We’re keeping it super-fun and easy breezy, a place for kids to come and hang out and have fun, and a soft way to teach them that we can do really fun, cool things while also giving back to our community.”
For more info on the SCCC, visit saratogachildrenscomittee.org, and to attend the Kindness Carnival, simply show up to The Saratoga Winery Sunday between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (462 NY-29; 518-584-9463).
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