Join us for a special afternoon that brings kids and parents together to have fun, do good, and be kind---all under one roof! Family Kindness Festival, on Sunday, May 5, from 1-4 pm, at Beachwood High School (25100 Fairmount Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122) is a free family event geared for children ages 5-13 years. All ages are welcome to attend, however, children must be accompanied by an adult. Now in its third year, this one-of-a-kind festival is presented by Senders Pediatrics in partnership with Beachwood City Schools.
This years’ theme is Be A Kindness Rockstar! and to amplify the point, the festival features Cleveland Keys Dueling Pianos, Learn to be a DJ with DJ JT (JTemp 13), School of Rock House Band, Panorama Steel Drums, Sirkus Dayz Performers and music-themed crafts. Thirty-seven nonprofits, 23 innovative students and 23 area schools will join together to create a one-of-a-kind symphony where families can have fun while engaging in service projects, participating in crafts for a cause, meeting inspirational kids and learning about volunteer opportunities within the community. The event also features rocking entertainment, a bounce house, ice cream trucks + sweet treats, and so much more which will surely resonate with kids and parents alike.
Highlights of the Day
- Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy:
- Cleveland Keys Dueling Pianos - NEW!
- Live musical performances - NEW!
- Learning to be a DJ with DJ JT (JTemp 13) - NEW!
- Music-themed crafts - NEW!
- School of Rock House Band- NEW!
- Sirkus Dayz Performers and hula hoops - NEW!
- Inlet Dance Studio Performers - NEW!
- Panorama Steel Drums - NEW!
- Interacting with Cleveland area non-profit organizations and discover ways to get involved and give back (See participating organizations below)
- Connecting with area children and teens who have developed awesome ideas to spread acts of kindness in their schools, neighborhoods and communities (See participating students below)
- Participating in the Wigs for Kids Cut-a-Thon or cheer on volunteers who are donating hair to help make wigs for children suffering from hair loss
- Engaging in crafts for a cause - Participate in a variety of make-and-give-back projects that will benefit many local non-profit organizations and those they serve
- Savoring ice-cold treats from East Coast Custard and Kona Ice Trucks
“We are so pleased to partner with Beachwood City Schools for the third year in a row to present an extraordinary afternoon for families. Last year over 2100 individuals, representing 70 zip codes, came together to celebrate the importance of kindness and this year we expect that number to grow” said Dr. Shelly Senders of Senders Pediatrics. “When our kids are encouraged to be kind and generous they can see, first-hand, how their individual acts of kindness can have a meaningful impact on those around them. Research shows that kids who learn to be kind have less stress, feel more happiness, have greater self-esteem and also have better mental health as adults. That’s why we’re committed to making Family Kindness Festival an annual tradition,” Dr. Senders continued.
“Beachwood City Schools looks forward to hosting thousands of 'Kindness Rockstars' in partnership with Senders Pediatrics at the annual Family Kindness Festival. Our school district values respect for all and the power of kindness to forge connections among our diverse community," stated Dr. Robert P. Hardis, Superintendent.
Family Kindness Festival is a project of the Senders Pediatrics Health Initiative, a federal 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. Support for the Festival has been provided by a number of generous sponsors including, The Floor King, Akron Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Pease Bell CPAs, Cedar Brook Group, Crestmont Cadillac, Brunswick Companies and TXI. Media sponsors for the event are 107.3 Alternative Cleveland, The Answer AM 1420 FM 102.5, Cleveland Jewish News, Macaroni Kid and Northeast Ohio Parent. While the event is free, advanced registration is encouraged. For more information and to register, visit senderspediatrics.com/kindness.
Participating Nonprofits and Organizations—to date, include:
- A Kids at Art for The Heart
- Best Buddies
- Caring Cubs
- Chair-ity
- Colleen Higgins Studio
- Courtney Jones Cure and Care Foundation
- Cuyahoga County Public Library: Kindergarten and Baby Club
- Daily Dose of Reading
- Drink Local Drink Tap
- Empowering Epilepsy
- Empower Sports
- Foothpath Foundation
- Fostering Hope
- Friendship Circle
- GiGi’s Playhouse
- Girl Scouts
- Imagination Library
- Kids Capes of Courage
- Lake Erie Ink: A Writing Space for Youth
- Letters of Gold
- LifeAct
- Literacy in the Hood
- Lyndee’s Closet
- NCJW/Share What You Wear
- One Million Acts of Kindness
- R.A.K.E. – Random Acts of Kindness
- RePlay for Kids
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Sagar Udeshi Writes
- Senders Pediatrics Health Initiative
- School of Rock
- Senders Pediatric Health Institute
- Sweet Dreams for Kids
- The Fairytale Foundation
- The Music Settlement
- The Superhero Project
- 1000 Ties
- Universal Love Ent
- Values-in-Action
- W.A.G.S. for Kids
- Wigs-for-Kids
Student Activists—to date, include:
- Tim Baker – Gliding Star Volunteer
- Ethan James, Levi & Jacob Eskelsen – Fuzzy Fleece for Foster Friends
- Melora Fowler – Kindness Knitter
- Lottie Ginsburg – Organized a daylong fundraiser
- Priyasha Ghosal – Makes candles and donates proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Hospital
- Girl Scouts
- Augusta Halle – Facilitator of The Kindness Games
- Violet Handel – Handel Store – donates some proceeds to different non-profit organizations
- Peter Heath – Advocate for children with visual impairments
- Nathanael Honvou – We Finish Together – Ohio Fleet Leaders
- Meghan Massey – Student advocate for the Vascular Birthmark Foundation
- Meera Masurekar – Avid volunteer
- Sachin Malhotra – Sells original artwork and uses profits to provide art materials for patients at Akron Children’s Hospital
- Lilly Moran and Gabby Ransom – Growing Hope
- Christine Rocco – Rainbow Fun
- Gia Rosuo – Hearts for Honduras and other volunteer experiences
- Hannah Schauer, Sadie Schonfeld, Miriam Clayool Mandel Jewish Day School Students – Repair the World
- Keith Schneider and Scott Wachter – Second Grade Kindness Ambassadors
- Sean Singleton – Thinkie Winks
- Derrick Smith Jr. – Boys Do Read
- The Great Lakes Science Center’s Robotics Initiative – Hands Across Borders
- Emma Vesci-Perez and Charlotte White – Friendship Finders
- Alexander Walker – Alex’s Fluffy Buddies
- Xyia West – Limitless Dream
- Isabella Williams – Hoops for Change
School Partners—to date, include:
- Andrews Osborne Academy
- Beachwood City Schools
- Cleveland Council of Independent Schools
- Fuchs Mizrachi School
- Gesu Catholic School
- Gilmour Academy
- Gross Schechter Day School
- Hathaway Brown
- Hawken School
- Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
- Hershey Montessori School
- Joseph and Mandel Jewish Day School
- Mayfield City Schools
- Laurel School
- Lawrence School
- Old Trail School
- Orange City Schools
- Shaker Heights Schools
- Solon City Schools
- South Euclid Lyndhurst Schools
- St. Francis of Assisi School and Parish
- St. Paschal Baylon Catholic School
- The Lillian Ratner Montessori School
- University School
- Urban Community School
Macaroni KID Cleveland East is a proud sponsor of the Family Kindness Festival.
