Ten-year-old Kaylee Jelinek had been anticipating Saturday for months.
She had plans to throw a birthday party — not just for one person, but for dozens of children at the People's City Mission.
Kaylee is one of 14 girls in Girl Scout Junior Troop 20568 who have been throwing monthly birthday parties for children at the Mission since May.
"I hope they walk away and say 'Wow, they put a lot of effort into this and they care about us,'" said Kaylee, a fourth-grader at Maxey Elementary School.
There are nearly 50 children at the Mission at any time, said troop co-leader Vanessa Hohlen, who brought the scouts on a tour of the Mission a few years ago.Â
"It really opened their eyes," she said.Â
Throwing birthday parties was an idea the scouts from Roper and other schools could get behind.Â
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"Everybody thinks of these children on Christmas and Easter, but for their birthday, some of these kids never have the chance to celebrate them," Hohlen said.
The parties are hosted every second Saturday of the month, and each girl scout is assigned a month to throw her own party.
Kaylee spent months planning activities for a Santa's workshop-themed party Saturday.Â
Dozens of children from the Mission took part in Christmas-themed activities such as a cookie-decorating station.
Santa Claus even made an appearance.
Children who celebrate a birthday in December walked away with a toy as well.
Birthday boy Emmanuel Kardena leaped excitedly from station to station, where the girl scouts put on games and activities.
"I like that it's like Christmas and a birthday," the 6-year-old said happily.
Children up to age 18 are welcome, Hohlen said, even if their birthday isn't that month.Â
Local businesses help pay for toys and supplies at the parties. Home Depot, for example, donated 72 workshop toy kits for Saturday's party.
The girl scouts also won a $500 Disney Be Inspired grant for their efforts, which they hope will earn them a Bronze Award, the highest honor for a Girl Scout Junior.
Roper Elementary fourth-grader Isabella Butters, 9, is just glad to put a smile on someone else's face.
"I've learned that helping the community and helping others makes you feel good inside," she said. "I feel like we're helping these kids and they feel better about themselves because they finally have a party."