The wishes of Ruby and Esme Madia, two young girls from West Windsor who wanted to help build a clean water well in India, led to the creation of Glitter Lemonade, a local non-profit organization that aims to teach kids about philanthropy while supporting children in their efforts to make a difference in their community. Ruby, now in second grade, and Esme, in first grade, both attend Maurice Hawk Elementary School.
Glitter Lemonade presents Bubble Trouble Extravaganza on Sunday, June 2, in Monroe at home of Make-A-Wish New Jersey’s “Wishing Place” castle. The event features a bubble performance by Jeff Boyer as well as a personal tour of the castle. Mixing comedy, music, and interactive bubble-magic, Boyer juggles bubbles, sculpts and builds with bubbles, makes fog-filled bubbles, and more. Proceeds will go toward granting the wish of young Ernest, a seven-year-old Mercer county resident who is battling lymphosarcoma. Tickets are $20 per child, $15 per sibling, with free admission for parents and grandparents. Register by E-mail to party@glitterlemonade.com
Their mother, Halle, represents actors in New York City at Innovative Artists. Her clients are involved in television, film, commercials, theater, music, and animation. She is recognized in the entertainment industry for cultivating the careers of up and coming artists and has collaborated on teams launching rising stars such as Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook” and “The Hunger Games”), Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Kristen Bell (“House of Lies” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), and Hayden Panetierre (“Nashville”). Their father, Mike, is a sales manager for DealerTrack.
Two and a half years ago, six-year-old Ruby Madia decided she wanted to use her birthday to help a cause called Charity Water to build a clean water well. She was inspired by a video she saw on the Internet regarding the lack of access to clean water that so many people around the world are affected by and decided she wanted to help.
Ruby sent an E-mail to her friends and family asking them to make a small donation toward the well instead of sending her traditional birthday gifts that year. She was able to raise a good amount of money, but not nearly the $5,000 it costs to build a well. After learning about her efforts, several other local kids (along with some in California) decided to donate their birthdays as well, and eventually enough money was raised to begin construction.
Once Halle saw how her daughter’s friends were so eager to help she was inspired to found Glitter Lemonade. In doing so, she has created a vehicle where kids can follow in her family’s footsteps by donating their birthdays to whatever cause holds meaning for them.
“One of the ways we have been most successful is by showing kids how to donate their birthday to a cause that’s important to them,” says Halle. “We create a campaign page for them online where their friends and families can learn about their cause and make a donation if they wish. The amount of kids who are happy to eschew traditional birthday gifts in order to make a difference in the lives of others is overwhelming.”
The well has just been completed in a small village in India. Located next to a school, it will provide clean water for a village of 209 people for more than 20 years. Ruby and Esme received a certificate from Charity Water along with a personal thank you note with details of their effort from the founder of Charity Water, and a picture of a woman pumping water from the new Glitter Lemonade well.
Bubble Trouble Extravaganza, Glitter Lemonade, Make-A-Wish New Jersey, 1347 Perrineville Road, Monroe. Sunday, June 2, 2 p.m. Performance by Jeff Boyer and a tour of the castle. Register by E-mail to party@glitterlemonade.com. $20; $15 per sibling; parents and grandparents are free. 609-610-2889. glitterlemonade.com.
