Birthday boys celebrate by donating gifts to children at Walker

Ethan and Alex Shifman look forward to their birthdays every year as much as any other kid, but for the past several years, the brothers have celebrated in a special way.

Last month Ethan and Alex visited the Walker Needham campus with their father Ken, and dropped off a carload of presents—toys and gift certificates collected at each of their birthday parties earlier this year and donated to children in residential programs at Walker.

The boys began donating their birthday gifts to Walker in 2007, and for the past three years they have asked friends and family who attend their birthday parties to bring a gift for a child at Walker. Sometimes they even include a Walker wish list of toys and other items on the party invitation, and several of their guests have been similarly inspired to designate Walker as the beneficiary of gifts from their own birthday celebrations.

The two brothers, 8 and 6 years old, learned about Walker from their mother Jill. “I wanted to help them understand and appreciate how fortunate we are, and how important it is to help others,” she said. “The Walker School helps kids who are about the same age as Ethan and Alex, and it is nearby, so on our visits they could see that they were helping kids who, despite their challenges, were a lot like them.”

The two boys look forward to the gift drop-off each year, as six-year-old Alex explains: “We like it, because other people don’t have toys, so if we give it to them, they can play too.”

While visiting Walker, they were treated to birthday cupcakes and were presented with certificates of appreciation. They have also received a heartfelt thank you from Walker executive director Richard W. Small. “Through their generosity, Ethan and Alex are helping to teach a new generation about the importance of philanthropy.”

If you would like to find out how you can turn your special celebration into an opportunity to contribute to the well-being of children in residential care at Walker, please contact Amy Perna, Walker annual fund manager, for more information.