Our 8th Annual Children For Children Holiday Concert

This year, as with every year, I debated about whether or not to do our Children for Children concert - Christmas time is so busy for us and for so many other families - maybe doing it at a different time of year would be better? Plus the lovely old church we've used for this concert the past three years has a boiler that doesn't work so it's currently unheated and it would be way too cold to hold the concert there. But the kids insisted it HAD to happen - "the orphans are counting on us since we always send them money at Christmas!"

We found another great place to hold the concert (the nonprofit that owns the church we usually use also owns a beautiful and very large house right next to the church and they let us use the house) and I turned the whole thing over to the kids this year. They stepped up and did a great job. Isaac sent out emails and set up a Facebook event plus made a spreadsheet to track who'd be coming, who'd be performing, and who could bring refreshments. Ashton was the emcee and organized the program. Eliza said she'd explain the cause we were raising money for - One Heart Bulgaria. Everyone pitched in to make signs and printable invitations to pass out to friends at school. And it all worked out beautifully!

We raised just over $700 and that means the kids got to donate over $1400 to help the orphans this year (my parents have a foundation that always matches whatever the kids raise - so that makes it all the more exciting for them and all the better for the recipients!)

Isaac and Eliza got up there to welcome everyone and introduce the cause we were raising money for (Then we watched this video together about the orphans we were raising money for.)

Here are a few of the performances we enjoyed:

Riley sang "Rocking around the Christmas tree" so beautifully - complete with fun disco lights:

Eliza played "Little Drummer Boy" - a rendition she made up entirely herself:

One family did a really cute song:

Here's a glimpse at the audience:

One family with lots of tiny little kids did a beautiful job playing the bells:

Ashton and his friend Amy played and sang a beautiful rendition of Silent Night and added some serious class to the evening.

The kids did the traditional no-rehearsal-required, everyone-just-come-get-a-costume Nativity play at the end of the program.


Of course, one of the favorite parts of the evening is always the refreshments:

Opening the donation box and counting up the money is always a HUGE highlight!

Oh, how I love seeing my kids so excited about money that they aren't going to keep! And hearing them talk about all the nice blankets and toys and medical money they'll be able to help pay for with the money they earned.

If you want to learn more about how to put together your own simple - or fancy - fundraising event to get your kids involved in helping needed kids, click below:

How to Start a Children for Children Holiday Tradition

(and this can happen any time of year - not just at Christmas!)