Getting together for a lavish Christmas party every year but not getting any presents is no big deal for Kayleigh Barnaba of Geneva and her friends.
In lieu of gifts, Kayleigh and her guests make a donation to a chosen charity.
“It’s more important to help somebody,” Kayleigh, 9, said.
For the last five years, the Barnaba family has held a children’s holiday party at the Herrington Inn in Geneva for Kayleigh’s friends, complete with a luncheon, craft and games.
This year’s party was held Dec. 8.
Kayleigh’s mother, Rennie Barnaba, said she came across the Christmas gala idea several years ago.
“I read an article about how in the old days there used to be parties kids got dressed up for,” she said. “I thought, ‘I haven’t seen anything like that in a long time.’ We thought we’d bring back the old-style Christmas parties.”
While Barnaba said the Herrington provides a beautiful backdrop for the party, she said it’s not about the grandeur.
“It’s more about getting the kids together at Christmas,” she said. “We decided we didn’t want to do just a Christmas party, but try to tie it in with a charity so Christmas has more meaning.”
In the past, party attendees have raised money for a school library, care packages for the troops in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina victims and the St. Peter Food Pantry in Geneva.
This year’s festivities raised more than $750. Children brought money from their piggy banks, and got some help from their parents.
Kayleigh selected the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s Research this year for her charity.
Paul Ruby, general manager for the Herrington Inn and Spa, was diagnosed in July 2006 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He decided the best way for him to move forward was to create the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The foundation’s mission is to increase awareness about the disease and to raise money for Parkinson’s research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“I knew that Kayleigh had made a tradition of donating money to charities in lieu of receiving gifts, but I was definitely caught off guard when I was told my foundation was selected,” Ruby said.
He lauds not only Kayleigh but her classmates for their contributions.
“She’s a neat little girl and her parents are great parents,” he said. “They brought her up very well. But it goes beyond that. The kids that she hangs out with are also in the same spirit of giving during the holidays. It’s more widespread than just one kid, which is even better.”
Next year, Kayleigh, who has two cats, hopes to raise money for an animal shelter.
She is proud of the money she and her classmates were able to raise this year.
“I thought it was really nice that some of my friends helped donate with their piggy banks because it was from their heart,” she said.
