The candles were lit at Vero Bowl, casting the sold-out venue in a glow of competition during the fourth annual Battle of the Realtors to benefit Little Birthday Angels. The strikes, spares and even gutter balls were thrown so that children who might otherwise not have a birthday party are provided with one.
Folks involved in the real estate industry, including realtors, title companies, insurance agencies and moving companies, teamed up to battle it out on the lanes, enabling the nonprofit to meet its mission of providing a birthday celebration for every homeless child on the Treasure Coast.
Angel Pietsch, executive director of Little Birthday Angels, founded the nonprofit in 2014 after discovering that the Hibiscus Children’s Center, which serves abused, neglected and/or abandoned children, did not always have the funds to acknowledge each child’s special day.
That first year, Pietsch said they provided 25 birthday celebrations to the Hibiscus Children’s Center.
Last year, they celebrated 538 birthdays, with volunteers delivering Birthday Bags of Hope to 40 schools and four shelters in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties.
At the shelters, LBA also provides cupcakes and goodie bags so that children can have an actual birthday party with their friends and families.
The shelters and the homeless liaisons in various schools provide LBA with a child’s age, size and personal interests so that curated bags, valued at about $240, can be put together with items including new sneakers and a clothing outfit, a blanket, lap desk, toiletries, school supplies, snacks, and other items from a personal wish list.
The nondescript bags are delivered by volunteers, so that children don’t feel singled out. For many of them, it is the first, and often the only, time they will receive birthday presents, said Pietsch.
The event raised $37,000 to support the purchase of items for children up to 18 years of age, said Pietsch. They also accept donations of items, and she said that their greatest need is for new clothes, items for teenagers, and volunteers to wrap and deliver gifts, noting that they usually have enough toys because people like to shop for little kids.
The bowlers embraced the opportunity to showcase their skills, showing that support of LBA was right up their alley, not only doing their best to roll straight while vying for top honors, but also coming dressed to impress.
Teams were attired in an array of costumes, including 1950s attire, a deck of cards, birthday presents and the ever-popular Minions. Everyone kept up their energy between frames, nibbling at the buffet dinner and bidding on auction items.
In the end, Eric Downes’ Keller Williams Realty team took First Place, with ReMax Crown Realty taking the Spirit Award.
Watch for birthday-themed trees to pop up around town in November, Homeless Youth Awareness month, during which LBA will be collecting birthday gift items for children ages 1 to 18.
For more information, visit LittleBirthdayAngels.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
