The Best Is Yet to Come

December 22, 2015December 21, 2015 Leigh Ann ErricoLeave a comment

“A great accomplishment shouldn’t be the end of the road, just the starting point for the next leap forward.” –Harvey Mackay

I find it rather fitting that I stumbled upon the above quote as I was reflecting on the work that’s been done via the kidkind foundation in 2015. Many of the projects on which we have been focused this past year are, in fact, foundational for kidkind’s “next leap forward.”

We’ve had a busy year at the kidkind foundation, and the fruits of our labor are now in sight. Setting our goals high, we tackled major projects that will truly move the needle on restoring the power of kindness and heroic character. Some 2015 highlights include:

School Assembly: A team of talented educators, in coordination with Wear the Cape character education expert Dr. Philip Brown, created a stellar anti-bullying assembly for elementary schools, which includes a video with Cape Kids and Junior Board Members displaying the strategies and skills needed to be BETTER THAN THAT™. For further information on how to bring the assembly to a school near you, starting in January 2016, contact me at leighann@wearthecape.com.
Children’s Book: Hard work during 2015 writing and illustrating our first children’s book will come to fruition in 2016, as we are now in the final stages of publishing. Expect a fun-filled story that engages young kids with magical details and vibrant illustrations to convey that it’s better to be a hero than a bully. We promise not to disappoint.
Holiday Fundraiser: Late last month, Wear the Cape brought together kids and adults for its third annual holiday event promoting kindness and giving to those in need. Over 20 Cape Kids volunteered their time to collect the thousands of dollars in supplies that were donated for American troops overseas and the hundreds of toys, such as Barbies and Legos, which warmed hearts at the NJ Children’s Shelter. The fundraiser also raised over $8,000 for kidkind to continue teaching children about the importance of doing good in 2016!
Raising Awareness: Wear the Cape’s resident character education expert Dr. Philip Brown produced valuable educational materials provided to parents for free to help them understand how best to raise Cape Kids of good character. Examples include:
New Gear that Spreads the Message: Due to popular demand, Wear the Cape has added new merchandise to our Hero Collection. Check out the Hero Hat (Winter Edition), Keepin’ It Kind Tee (Long Sleeve), and Powerful Pucker Lip Moisturizer in our shop!

I am so proud of all the Cape Kids who have helped further the mission of restoring the power of kindness and heroic character and am so grateful for the love and support of my dear friends and family, who give me the courage and grace to live each day a little kinder than the last.

Together, let’s strive to make 2016 even better than 2015!

Choose kind,
Leigh Ann

Kidkind Foundation Giving BIG on #GivingTuesday

December 3, 2014December 3, 2014 Leigh Ann ErricoLeave a comment

Holiday cheer in full effect: Tonight marked Wear the Cape’s second annual kidkind foundation holiday extravaganza! A night focused on philanthropy, the event took place on none other than #GivingTuesday. Giving Tuesday, for those who may not be aware, is a global day that is dedicated to giving back; it’s a chance to unite and celebrate generosity.

As founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, I opened up my home in Warren, NJ for the sake of promoting among our children that it is “Cool to Be Kind”. Together, with 80 fine women as guests, about 20 Cape Kids in action, and many vendors who donated their time and their specialties, the night was a resounding success, raising $7K for kidkind to use in 2015 to continue its mission. In addition, the fundraiser collected thousands of dollars in supplies for our troops – the ultimate heroes who fight for our freedom – and gathered hundreds of beautifully-wrapped Lego and Frozen toys to be donated to orphans at the NJ Children’s Shelter in Trenton, NJ.

Cape Kids, who have each contributed to society in their own unique ways, were also celebrated. They exemplify what we’ve learned from Wear the Cape’s wise guru Dr. Philip Brown, PhD – that kids who learn and practice the act of volunteering for their community reap all kinds of benefits, including building stellar character. Check out our recent list, “Top 10 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer,” for more.

To make the night even more interesting, there was a turbo-charged Holiday Cookie Exchange so that all the ladies could arrive with one type of cookie and depart with their choices from 80 different kinds. Friendly competition got fiercely fun as attendees dueled for the coveted honors of best looking and most delicious cookies in the house!

Local organizations popped in to make holiday shopping a little less stressful for all. The big-hearted vendors “wore the cape” in their own right – Bayhead Boutique, Petite Lily, Christina’s Dresses, and MySuperFoods – donating a percent of proceeds to the kidkind foundation. And, of course, Wear the Cape gear and clothes – every item complete with a Hero Tag that coaches kids on what to do when challenging life scenarios arise – were for sale and flying off the shelves (shop for Wear the Cape goodies for yourself and your loved ones HERE).

Quoting Plato in my remarks for the night, I encouraged:

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

That about sums up the night – Wearing the Cape in action! Because, as my mom always used to say, kindness is free.

Choose kind,
Leigh Ann

What made the inaugural 5K race for kidkind a success?

May 6, 2014July 19, 2014 Leigh Ann ErricoLeave a comment

The inaugural 5K race for kidkind held this past Saturday was an all-around success, filled with big smiles and big hearts. When runners, volunteers and families arrived at the Warren, NJ Municipal fields, they were greeted by one of the first beautiful days of spring after a grueling New Jersey winter. It was the perfect setting as we joined together to raise money for kids in need while showing the kids we love the power of kindness and character.

The mud on the trails did not stop the 117 runners who came out to support the kidkind foundation, Teens Connecting with Teens and the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and participants, the event raised over $10,000, meeting our goal! We’d like to thank Gotta Dance for not only being the race for kidkind’s lead sponsor, but also for delivering one of the day’s highlights: dedicated dancers with inspiring routines.

Beyond monetary donations, a big predictor of good character is the giving of ourselves in support of our communities, as we all know. We were so fortunate to have about 50 heroic volunteers who were so generous with their efforts, committed to the success of the fundraiser. The Contender Cheer team was also so giving of their time and talents, posting up at the race’s finish line to encourage runners as they sweated to earn the last mile. This amazing group of young ladies has been supportive of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation since our launch last fall, and we are so grateful to them for their unrelenting championing of our mission.

As a whole, the event embodied what Wear the Cape is all about: bringing out the best in others, bringing to light the positive in our world, and bringing about a change in our society.

The outpouring of support from local businesses, volunteers, and the town of Warren was not just a means to an end, but an exercise of camaraderie that strengthened our community, reminding us all that we’re in this together and together we can make a BIG impact.

Recognizing Cape Kid Sami Saunders and highlighting the passion of Cape Kid Olivia Perlmutter, founder of Teens Connecting with Teens, has not only helped balance out all the negative news we hear involving our youth, but these young ladies’ stories have served to inspire others to also be courageous, to find ways to help those in need, and to be Better Than That—above bad choices that hurt themselves and others.

Lastly, little ones seeing these role models and the grown-ups they look up to elevating kindness and virtue as cool and worthy of respect helped spark change in kids’ perspectives and, it is our hope, the way they interact with the world.

Many commented that optimism and goodwill radiated throughout the day at the 5K race for kidkind and Family Festival – we agree, so MISSION ACCOMPLISHED…with the help of all of you!

Choose kind,
Leigh Ann