Princess Alexa Foundation

Dress Up Closet Opening - Ronald McDonald House of Dallas

2010-02-21T16:38:00.003-06:00

Photography included by Morgan Mizell

On Valentine's Day, we opened the newest dress up closet at The Ronald McDonald House in Dallas. It was a beautiful day and the children were all so happy to be spoiled with love.

Special thanks goes to Kennedy Legal Firm of Dallas for sponsoring the closet and the party, Magic Hands for the construction of the closet, Liz Mizell for the incredible painting of the closet, Whole Foods for catering and Valerie Nankervis for the cake.

Our working board and other volunteers made the day extra special for all the families who were staying at the house that day. And we couldn't do it without our wonderful donors, especially Little Adventures! Thank you all very much for spreading happiness- the greatest gift of all.

2009-12-26T13:32:00.005-06:00

Thank you to Melissa Hawkes and Chris Ghanbari at DFWReporting.com who produced this stunning video about Alexa, our foundation and the Princess in the Park fundraising event held in October. It truly captures the essence of what we do.

Click picture to view video.

The Princess and the Frog

2009-12-17T21:30:00.003-06:00

On December 12th, we celebrated the newest Disney princess by holding an exclusive event for our board members, some friends and several local families with children battling illness. We all gathered at Studio Movie Grill in Lewisville for a grand Princess and the Frog experience, complete with a red carpet walkway, gift bags, our own marquis and a special visit by Princess Tiana herself! Thank you to all who helped us create a memorable experience for so many special children.

And The Results Are In!

2009-12-09T22:28:00.005-06:00

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year's Dress Up Drive a HUGE success! We collected over 1450 costumes and almost 900 accessories! Simply amazing.

Speaking of amazing. . . Special thanks to Sabre, Inc. whose employees held a charity day and gave the proceeds to us. Their financial team put together their own "Amazing Race" event and invited employees to compete in order to raise monetary donations for our foundation. Between the generosity of the employees and the Sabre matching program, the grand total exceeds $8,000 - a very significant contribution to our young organization. This will go a long way in helping us continue to serve these special children whose lives are enhanced through the joy of dress up.

A Busy Day

2009-11-12T12:21:00.007-06:00

Saturday, November 21st was a big day for The Princess Alexa Foundation! In the morning, we were the beneficiary of the first annual Turkey Trot/Fun Run for our neighborhood in Keller! The event attracted more runners than the original goal making it a huge success. Thank you to all who were involved in making this happen. It was a lot of fun!

In the evening the Haltom Middle School theater group performed Alladin, Jr. with proceeds to benefit our foundation.

This group of kids have been working hard all semester long for us. Not only have they offered themselves for volunteering hours, but they cheered up the patients at Our Children's House Baylor with their talent and generosity. The gift of song and dance accompanied with a new costume to enjoy was the perfect medicine for so many recovering from illness. Thank you, guys. We are so glad your show was a big success!

Thank you also to the Hulen Disney Store for the dessert bar available throughout the evening. We loved seeing the smiles on all the children's faces as they carried away a plate full of goodies!

Dress Up Drive - October 24th to November 7th

2009-10-18T21:14:00.020-05:00

Click picture for video

October 24th to November 7th is our Annual Dress Up Drive! Help us continue our efforts of spreading the joy of dress up to all seriously ill children!

We are in need of monetary gifts as well as NEW costumes and accessories for boys and girls sizes 2-10.

Dress up in your own costumes and bring your items to our "Collection Party" on Saturday, November 7th at Colleyville Heritage High School from 9am to 12 noon. We will have entertainment sponsored by the CHHS and FRHS Cheerleaders as well as visits from famous characters and other surprises. Items can also be mailed to our listed address.

Can't make it to our Collection Party? We are proud to partner with several Drop Off Points in Dallas!

Professional Bank of Lakewood

2101 Abrams Rd., Dallas, 75214

(214) 269-2100

Professional Bank of Park Cities

7001 Preston Road, Dallas, 75205

(214) 270-1430

Wish List: Our most frequent requests are for anything princess, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Cars, Superheroes and public workers like fireman, policeman, etc. We need accessories too like crowns, wands, hats, wigs, boas, swords, capes and anything else for boys.

Princess in the Park

2009-10-03T20:29:00.012-05:00

This is Tatum. A 3-year-old little girl who loves Ariel, Little House on the Prarie and . . . wrestling Nacho Libre style. Yes, you read that right. Are you in love yet?

Because of the generosity of our donors, The Princess Alexa Foundation was able to reach hundreds of children like Tatum this year giving away almost 5,000 dress up items to boys and girls all over the United States being treated in over 25 hospitals. Thank you!! Please help us continue to spread the joy of dress up to hundreds more children this year.

Do you have a little girl who loves being a princess? Would she LOVE getting her picture taken with a Disney Princess by a professional photographer? Sign her up for Princess in the Park. With a mission to help regain childhood fantasy for local children, Sarah Anne Photography has teamed up with DFW's Pretty Princess Parties for this annual fantasy event. Held on Halloween day in the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens from 10-2, this year's proceeds will benefit The Princess Alexa Foundation. Click here to buy tickets and to read more about the surprises held in store for your own special princess. Thank you Sarah Anne Photography and Pretty Princess Parties for choosing us as your beneficiary!

Thank You Fossil Ridge High Cheerleaders!

2009-09-28T11:02:00.004-05:00

A HUGE thank you to the Fossil Ridge High School Cheerleaders for their hard work in putting together the outrageously successful Touch a Truck Event! Because of you, hundreds of sick children will benefit from the joy of dress up.

Thank you to Yony Kim from YLK Photography for the slideshow!

Touch A Truck!!

2009-08-31T18:24:00.006-05:00

What child doesn't LOVE cool trucks? Fossil Ridge High School in Keller (corner of N. Tarrant and Beach) is hosting a fundraiser for us on Saturday, September 26th from 11-4. Touch a Truck! For just $3, your child can explore all sorts of fun vehicles like an ambulance, police car, fire truck, crane, tow truck, corvette and many more. Girls. . . want to check out the Sweet and Sassy limo? It will be there too along with Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. Recognize that red truck? YES- it is THE actual truck from the movie Twilight and it will be at Touch a Truck for your viewing pleasure signed by all the actors!!!

Please come out and join us for this fun and playful event and help The Princess Alexa Foundation continue to spread the joy of dress up to children who need it most.

Dress Up Dollars

2009-07-20T19:46:00.012-05:00

Let's Celebrate!!

August will mark the first year of The Princess Alexa Foundation! We have worked hard to bring happiness to hundreds of children through dress up and play. Everyone has been touched by the smiles of little princesses and superheroes across the country which has only cemented into our hearts the goodness of our mission.

To celebrate our one year anniversary, please consider donating to our cause so we can continue this work for many years ahead. 100% of your donation goes directly to the children we serve. Be a hero yourself and send us Dress Up Dollars!

This is Jordan - a young Leukemia fighter who received a Dress Up Delivery from us earlier this year. Her mother recently joined our board and is the operations manager for the local Teach er's Tools Stores.

Throughout the month of August (beginning Monday August 3rd), Teacher's Tools will be accepting donations at all four of their Dallas/Fort Worth locations. Teachers, Parents and anyone who has children in their lives will love these unique stores filled with items to inspire creative learning and imaginative play. Thank you to the owners and staff of Teacher's Tools for this generous effort!

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Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor Program: If you live in Texas or Louisiana, you can help us raise money by linking your Kroger Plus card to our foundation and earn us points with every dollar you spend through April 2010. Download this form and take it to Kroger with you the next time you shop- you only need to link it up once. Thanks!

Our Children's House Baylor-Dallas Dress Up Chest

2009-07-05T17:32:00.003-05:00

In the heart of Downtown Dallas, there is a special place called Our Children's House (OCH). It is appropriately named as that is where many children learn to live - it becomes their home for however long they need it to be. The young patients at OCH Baylor in Dallas are there for many reasons- some are dealing with birth disorders, others are healing from serious illnesses and still others are recovering from traumatic injuries. Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common- they are all sick children who need happiness in their lives- an escape from reality.

We are humbled to serve these often forgotten children. In June, The Princess Alexa Foundation placed a Dress Up Chest in OCH's newly redesigned playroom and filled it with costumes so these children can take advantage of the joy playing dress up brings. A short time later, we supplied six OCH outpatient therapy facilities in the DFW area with dress up clothes they use to inspire the children they treat. Our Children's House at Baylor is a wonderful organization that we are proud to support! Special thanks to Kennedy Legal Firm of Dallas for sponsoring the closets and Little Adventures for supplying the comfortable, washable dress ups for these adorable children.

The Children's Dress Up Closets are Open!

2009-06-28T17:35:00.003-05:00

On June 25th we celebrated the first Dress Up Closets Opening at Children's Medical Center Dallas. Generous supporters, volunteers, family and friends gathered to make this day a celebration to remember. Young patients were given the star treatment as they walked down the red carpet that lead to a room full of dress up fun. Everywhere you looked there were princesses, ninjas, superheroes and cheerleaders all beaming with joy. It was a very grand opening indeed. A happy day - and Happiness is Healing.

* Thank you to Hitachi - High Technologies of America for sponsoring the closets

* Thank you to Amy Pennington Photography for donating your ability to capture the most precious of moments and supplying us with a slideshow of pictures we will forever cherish

* Thank you to J Aiken of LifeNPortraits for donating your photographic talent so these special children could take away a permanent keepsake

* Thank you to Valerie of Cakes by Valerie in Keller for donating the amazing cake

* Thank you to our donors, especially Little Adventures for supplying us with so many great costumes the kids loved

* Thank you to all our character friends who made the day for those children

* Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this dream come true

Dress Up Closets Opening at Children's Medical Center Dallas

2009-06-09T15:59:00.005-05:00

June 25th we will celebrate the opening of two Dress Up Closets at Children's Medical Center of Dallas! Below you will find the stories of the boy and girl whose memories we are honoring. These children were inspirations to thousands as they valiantly fought their diseases with "strength to teach the teachers, faith to reach the preacher, belly laughs and eyes so beautiful."

Princess Alexa's Dress Up Closet

Alexa was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma on December 12, 2005, when she was almost two. She fought for 2 1/2 years until June of 2008 when her weakened immune system allowed an unidentifiable infection to grow in her lungs. Within a matter of two weeks Alexa went from looking and feeling relatively healthy at home to the ICU at Children’s with septic shock and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Alexa passed away on June 25, 2008 cradled in the arms of her mother and father.

Whenever possible, Alexa lived as close to a normal life as she could. She was in gymnastics, went to pre school, played with her brother, made friends, and rode as many carousels as she could. Alexa was seen in princess dresses everywhere she went and quickly became known as “Princess Alexa”. When she was able, Alexa was encouraged to play as much as she wanted. Playgrounds and carousels were a special part of healing for little Alexa. The last week she was alive, Alexa dictated a list for her mother of all the things she wanted to do when she got better. Number one was “Go to a pink park” and number two was “Get a pink dress”. It was only fitting to start a foundation in her memory that would carry on her greatest loves: dress up and play.

Master Blake's Character Cave

Blake was a Super Hero to many; he just needed to find the right cape. Blake started experiencing issues with various illnesses at age 2. The illnesses would seem minor and then grow into something more dangerous and more complicated. The illnesses didn’t always seem to fit together and the symptoms did not tie him into any one diagnosis. He was diagnosed multiple times only to follow an apparent dead end path that created more questions and sometimes more sickness. After 30 plus surgeries and endless days in the hospital, sometimes for months at a time, Blake lost his fight after 6 years of sickness on May 1, 2003 to what should have been a simple virus.

Blake was a Super Hero to many and he used his alter ego to hide from the trouble and pain of living in a hospital or in a clinic or tied to I.V poles. Blake was able to use his Super Hero abilities to create fun in places where most couldn’t see it. He could throw on a cape and sore around the hospital and delight and marvel, all the Doctors and nurses. His pain and sickness could disappear if only for a moment because he was no longer Blake, he was Batman, or Robin, or NightWing, or the Red Power Ranger and nothing, no sickness, no surgery, no disease could ever beat our Super Hero.

Children are a wonderful thing, in that they have learned to escape realities into a safe world simply by wearing a cape. Blake used his costumes to bring light into a world of suffering and pain and discomfort. The simple act of playing super hero, or conquistador, or pirate can let them remember they are kids and they can still enjoy life. It also reminds those of us around them, they are kids and we should enjoy them.

Mary Kay Fundraiser

2009-06-02T08:30:00.006-05:00

In some form or another, little girls never stop dressing up. As we get older, the method just changes. From princess dresses and tiaras, we move to make up and fancy shoes. The Princess Alexa Foundation is pleased to have Mary Kay support our Closet Opening with makeup for the older girls in treatment. A girl should always feel beautiful!

Do you know a woman who is in need of feeling beautiful? Know of a young person freshly graduated who could use a stock of cosmetics before heading off to college? Would you like to help celebrate the childhood spirit of seriously ill children through dress up and play?

Alli Carrasco is a Mary Kay Consultant who has generously offered a portion of her profits for the month of June and July to be given to The Princess Alexa Foundation!

Visit her website to place an order or leave a comment for Alli to contact you for more details. Thank you, Alli!

Follow Princess Alexa Foundation on Twitter!

Save the Date! PAF Launch Party June 25th

2009-04-28T12:57:00.005-05:00

June 25th we will be celebrating the opening of our first Dress Up Closets at Children's Medical Center Dallas. Please join us in commemorating this major milestone for The Princess Alexa Foundation- exactly one year after the passing of our inspiration.

Follow Princess Alexa Foundation on Twitter!

Our New Program is Delivering Happiness!

2009-04-05T12:54:00.007-05:00

Meet Sara, Philip and Allison. These are just a few of the many kids we have given costumes to through our new program- Dress Up Deliveries.

Sara is battling a Wilms Tumor- Stage IV FH. She is just four years old, but has already lived through more than most of us will ever see. Her family is big into putting on productions at home, so Sara was born with a flair for the dramatic. Her favorite color is blue and she likes all kinds of hero stories, so we thought she needed to dress up like the hero that she is. Her mother told us, "Thank you for your help in making Sara continue to smile throughout her treatment". You're welcome Sara- keep fighting with that hero smile!

Philip is one of many happy children. He is a tough little guy who has always loved escaping the realities of medicine through dress up. A boy with this much tenacity needed to have something that could show his inner strength. What is tougher than a true cowboy? Philip loved his new gear so much, he wore it three days straight- and yes, that included night time too. Philip, stay strong through your two and half year treatment to keep the Leukemia away.

Allison is a 4 year old princess whose favorite color is pink and loves all things girly. She has some good days and some bad in her quest to overcome the evil Leukemia that is threatening her royalty, but our "box of goodies really brightened her day" according to her mother, the queen. She liked her new dress so much, she had to pack it up to take to her uncle's house in a nearby kingdom to show him how beautiful she looks in it. Keep living your fairy tale, Allison and you WILL live happily ever after.

So far, we have reached out to children in Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusettes, New Jersey, New York, Tennesee and Texas. Please help us continue to bring happiness to children who need it most. If you know a child who is suffering from a serious illness, please send them to our website and tell them about our Dress Up Deliveries program. Tell your medical professional friends about us and how we can serve their patients.

Most importantly, consider donating to our foundation so we can continue to put smiles on children's faces in the midst of pain and sickness. We accept monetary gifts as well as NEW costumes and accessories for children sizes 2-10.

The Great Organization

2009-03-24T13:12:00.009-05:00

Last Saturday we had our first volunteer event: The Great Organization. Since August, we have collected thousands of items! Everything needed to be inventoried and organized by gender and size. More than 40 volunteers came out to help us go through over 5,000 costumes and accessories. It was a big success! Thank you to all who came and worked hard for our cause. If you would like to be added to the volunteer list for our next event, please email our director, Crys Aigner at princessalexafoundation@gmail.com.

What's New?

2009-02-28T23:24:00.003-06:00

Welcome to our new and improved website, complete with our official logo! Yes, that is Alexa's handwriting. A huge thank you to Derek Kelly for the website changes and to Patrick Ball for our logo design.

Along with our new and improved look, we'd like to introduce a new program: Dress Up Deliveries.

There are countless numbers of children in hospitals across the country undergoing treatment. Until we can put dress up closets in every Children's hospital, this is a way we can reach them. Requests can be made by filling out the form on the Dress Up Deliveries tab and emailing it back to us. Within 2 weeks, the child will receive a delivery to their house- a box full of fun dress up items to play with. If you know of a child who could benefit from this new program, please tell them about us. We'd love to help!

Dress Up Success!

2009-02-22T13:13:00.003-06:00

In Alexa's words, "Oh my dosh! Oh my dosh!"

A HUGE thank you to everyone who worked hard to make the Dress Up Drive a success. Our goal was to collect 2,000 costumes before the opening of the closets and with your help, we made it! We beat our goal!

But the fun doesn't stop here. Merryhill Schools are extending their invitation to be a drop off site for everyone in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Also- we will gladly accept donations year round for these children to make sure the happiness keeps getting spread those who need it most.

Keep On Dressin' On!

2009-02-17T11:58:00.004-06:00

Board member and cancer mom, Ann Podeszwa, accepting a donation from a group of children who held a party to collect costumes.

Our Dress Up Drive ends this weekend and so far it has been an enormous success! Groups all over the country have heard about our mission and are joining us in our efforts to collect 2,000 new costumes by the end of April when the two closets will officially open at Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

If you would still like to participate on your own or as a small group, the Merryhill Schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have graciously opened their doors as a drop off site for our drive. You can take your NEW costumes, accessories or monetary donations to any of the six area schools. Tell them it is for The Princess Alexa Foundation Dress Up Drive. Thank you Merryhill Schools for your participation in supporting our cause!

The Princess Alexa Foundation believes happiness is healing. Thank you to all who are helping to bring happiness to those children who need it most.

Dress Up Drive- February 8-22nd

2009-01-16T21:24:00.003-06:00

Last June as Alexa laid in her hospital bed with her port hooked up to morphine, a chest tube in her right side and an oxygen mask over her mouth she smiled at me and said, "Mommy, I want to get a new pink dress. And I want to go to a park, a pink park." Alexa loved to dress up and she loved to play. I wonder if she knew that her last wishes would grow into something so amazing. Alexa's Foundation will touch hundreds of lives as we embark on our first big project, opening the dress up closets in Children's Medical Center of Dallas in just a few months.

Our goal is to collect 2,000 costumes for the closets and we are happy to be well on our way. To help us reach our goal, we are asking your company, organization, mom's group, club, etc. to hold a Dress Up Drive and collect NEW costumes for boys and girls ages 2-10. We also appreciate unused accessories for children up to 18 (silly hats, bandannas, sunglasses, etc.). *All items must be new as the children at the hospital have compromised immune systems.

The "Dress Up Drive" tab has all the tools you will need to hold your own Drive. We would like all sign up forms to be turned in by January 31st. Thank you for helping to celebrate the childhood spirit of seriously ill children through dress up and play.

Read the story below about our first Dress Up Drive participant:

Little Adventures
is a wholesale company created by mothers of daughters who loved to dress up, but didn't like itchy costumes. They set out to make comfortable, washable dress ups that look adorable too. What a perfect fit for us!

Tammy Burraston (board member and Natalie's mom) contacted Little Adventures about our foundation and they immediately went to work helping our cause. They offered to let us buy from their discontinued items at a great price. Thanks to a very generous donation from Melissa in California, we were able to take advantage of this offer and stock up on some fantastic outfits. Thanks, Melissa!

Little Adventures is also donating to the closets 100 Pink Pauper dresses and little white gloves. And it doesn't end there! They are holding a "Princess Alexa Sale" for their vendors in which they are donating one dress up costume to us for every four that are sold out of the discontinued items list. We are overjoyed at this wonderful generosity. Thank you Little Adventures!

Giving Friends

2009-01-11T12:48:00.002-06:00

Meet Michelle Bittick's Bible Study group. An adorable gathering of girlfriends who met in kindergarten at Keller Harvel Elementary school several years ago. These girls became friends and a mother of one girl decided to start a Bible Study group for them. They have been together ever since.

Michelle gave them all $10 for Christmas and told them they could choose any charity to give it to. As the girls went around the room, they listed off several well-deserving organizations. As it came time for Jenna Salvesen's answer (the cutie pie in the middle with glasses), she said proudly that she was going to give to The Princess Alexa Foundation. Jenna is the daughter of our Pastor and his wife.

None of the other girls had heard about us before so Jenna told them a little about us and they all gathered around a computer to look at our website. They saw the fun things we are doing and all the girls decided they too wanted to give to our foundation. They chose to meet together this past Friday and go shopping with their money to help us toward our goal of 2,000 costumes for the Dress up Closets that are going in to Children's Medical Center in the spring.

I met them at a restaurant afterward and got to sit down and talk with the group. They excitedly showed me the great things they picked out. I was overwhelmed with the creativity and total joy they demonstrated. They asked me several questions and I got to share how much this means to me. It was a neat time.

As I left the restaurant carrying the bags of costumes, I was struck with how much impact this foundation is making. I was struck with how selfless children are and I was struck with the excitement of getting to do something for children who need it most. I can't wait to see the joy in the children's faces as they pick out a costume and escape into the world of makebelieve where no one is sick.

YOU TOO CAN HELP US REACH OUR GOAL!
We're almost at the halfway mark. Nearly 1,000 costumes have been donated, but in order to keep the closets stocked, we would like to open the closets with at least 2,000 costumes. In order to ramp up for the great unveiling in a few months, we will be holding a Dress Up Drive from February 8 to 22nd. (This will be in addition to our annual drive in November.)

We are asking for your participation, whether you are a business, study group, boy/girl scout troop, youth association, playdate group, a family, or any kind of get together. Please consider helping our cause. More information will be available next week such as sign up sheets, flyers for printing, tips on having a successful drive and frequently asked questions. Until then, mark your calendars and spread the word. We would LOVE to hit our goal of 2,000 costumes for this very important and meaningful program for the patients of Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

The First Year

2009-01-04T20:35:00.002-06:00

We have finished out our first year and it has been a great success! Since August, we have launched this website, built a Board of Directors, and gained members for the Advisory Board and volunteer list. The foundation supplied dress up clothes to seven families with children on hospice care as well as four other children battling cancer.

In April of 2009, we will be opening two dress up closets for the new wing of Children’s Medical Center of Dallas honoring the memory of Alexa Aigner and Blake Townsend (pictured). So far we have collected over 900 costumes! We are only 100 away from the halfway mark toward our goal of 2,000. Thank you to all who have helped to spread the word about this incredible opportunity to help seriously ill children escape from the medical world through imaginative play.

We also continue to raise funds for Friendship Park- the pink park Alexa dreamed of. It will be a place where sick and disabled children can comfortably and safely play with their siblings and friends.

2009 holds limitless opportunities for The Princess Alexa Foundation. We hope to be able to touch hundreds of lives. Thank you for your support in realizing our vision- that all seriously ill children will be able to celebrate their childhood spirit through dress up and play.

Monkeys for a Sweetheart

2008-12-29T19:29:00.002-06:00

Last week we got a call from Ms. Shurtz, a fourth grade school teacher at Independence Elementary in Keller, TX. She has a young girl named McKayla in her class who is going through treatment for paraganglioma, an aggressive cancer. McKayla's options are beginning to be limited so her family is taking her to New York this week for a treatment at Sloan Kettering. McKayla was able to go to her class Holiday party and Ms. Shurtz wanted to make her visit extra special.

McKayla was wanting some fun things to wear while in the hospital in New York and she loves monkeys. We were able to find a box full of monkey gear including pajamas, shirts, gloves, a jacket, socks and slippers. The entire class gathered on the floor to help her open the gift. All the kids were so excited for McKayla and we were happy to be a part of a special day.

Youth Fundraiser in Keller

2008-12-20T22:45:00.004-06:00

Today was the youth fundraiser at Bear Creek Bible Church in Keller, TX. They apply named it "Stop, Drop and Shop". Parents could bring their children to the church and leave them from 9-2 while they took that time to shop, run errands, go to a movie, or whatever it was they wanted to do. It was a HUGE success! Rebekah and Kyle Meeker, BCBC youth leaders, did an amazing job creating an organized and fun day for all 40+ kids who participated. Everyone had a great time. I loved being able to hang out all day with the kids. They were so great. Enjoy this slideshow of pictures from the event.