Page 14 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • September 28, 2011 Allendale Brookside School sixth graders Cait Kelley and Laura Pereira decided to celebrate their birthdays a bit differently this year. The two 11-year-olds passed on traditional birthday presents for something else: donations to purchase an Xbox 360 Kinect for the Tomorrows Children’s Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center. The girls were inspired by Kathleen Pinckney, a 10-yearold friend who lost her battle with cancer in July 2010.Pinckney was known for always giving of herself; her simple acts of kindness and love were the model Kelley and Pereira followed in choosing the Tomorrows Children’s Fund. They contacted Kathy Ambrose, administrative director of the fund, and asked if the center’s pediatric patients would benefit from having access to an Xbox or Wii during their treatment. Ambrose showed great interest and encouraged the girls to pursue their idea. They set a goal of $600 to purchase some Xbox games and an Xbox 360 Kinect, a motion sensing input device that enables users to interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller. The girls were excited at the prospect of the children undergoing treatment being able to have some fun playing games. The girls’ parents threw a combined party at Crestwood Lake since the girls’ birthdays were so close. Friends and family came out to support them with donations, and contributed a total of $400. In addition, Pereira donated birthday money received from her family, and Kelley donated money she had collected making and selling duct tape wallets during the summer with her friend Julia DiBenedetto. The Microsoft Xbox Kinect was delivered to the center on Aug. 31. “We are so very happy when other children want to assist our young patients as they fight these diseases. The amaz- Local girls hold fundraiser in lieu of birthday party Front row: Laura Pereira and Cait Kelley. Back row: Heidi Meizlik, Lynn Hoffman and Kathy Ambrose of Tomorrow’s Children Fund. ing gift of an Xbox 360 Kinect and games will enable our patients to be active and have fun while they spend long hours at the medical center receiving treatment,” said Ambrose. The Tomorrows Children’s Fund was founded by a group of committed parents to help their children, and others with cancer and serious blood disorders. TCF provides a warm, healthy, and loving environment for children in treatment, a full scope of services to relieve families’ emotional and financial stress, the very best possible medical care, and funding for research on these diseases. For additional information, visit www.atcfkid.com.