Christmas in the Park            

Christmas in the Park is a community-focused non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration of the holiday season by producing a free Christmas event. The displays, trees, and entertainment, along with special programs and festivities serve the interests of the San Jose, California community.

This annual holiday tradition takes place in the heart of Downtown San José at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. For over 44 years, this whimsical walk-thru event has brought people from all over the Bay Area together during the holidays. It is a place of community.

Each year the two-acre park is transformed into a holiday fantasy with over 40 musical and animated exhibits, glittering lights and the 50-foot Community Giving Tree. Some of the original displays housed in one of the largest exhibits, the Lima Train, include a melting snowman, caroling mice and elf woodcrafters. Guests enter a winter wonderland of lights, songs and local entertainment while strolling through an enchanted forest of trees decorated by San José schools, community groups and businesses.

This year the Phelps Family, Suzanne, Eric, Chandler and Cade, in honor of their late son Dane, purchased and decorated a Christmas tree for FIRST!  The theme this year was "go green". So Suzanne handmade each ornament from a piece of wood, which was decorated with the face of a FIRST member. There is also a QR code on the tree so that anyone can learn more about ichthyosis and FIRST. Suzanne was hopeful that some donations will be made as well.

            2nd Annual Cornhole Tournament            

Event recap by Adam Schlitt

Thank you all so much for either coming out or supporting this event and the FIRST  with donations! We truly appreciate it and are beyond blessed to have each and every one of you be a part of this incredible event! We are so appreciative of the Goff family and everything they did to help out this year, and all the competition they brought to the tournament. 

Next up, the amount raised. Last year's event raised over $15,000 and this year we hit over $22,500!!! We don't have any words for that except for just a huge thank you, again and again and again. 

I probably said this to a lot of you on Saturday, but for as important and beneficial the money raised is, I really hope we raised some awareness for the Ichthyosis community. I know we definitely did that to at least one person when I looked at the donation envelope that had "$25 from Park Guy". He stopped by, asked questions, and left hearing of a condition that he knew nothing about before. 

We truly hope that everyone who attended was able to interact and meet someone affected with icthyosis. The attached picture has 4 (Annie and Theo Goff, Randy Krall and Logan Schlitt) of the 6 total people that are affected and attended the event (Sorry Ellie and Julia, we will get you in it next year!). Sam and I's main goal for this event and I believe the Goff's as well is for everyone to be able to talk to and ask questions to those who are actually affected and gain a better understanding of what their day to day lives are like, and on top of that get to know them as just another person with an incredible personality and some funny stories along the way. 

If you did not attend but still donated, we hope you can make it next year! We want to make this as large as possible and continue to raise awareness and advocate for the Ichthyosis community! Spread the word!"

                             Putting on a Show for FIRST                           

Bailey Pretak held her annual birthday fundraiser “Bailey’s Broadway Birthday Bash” on Saturday, June 15, at The Royal in Ridgway, PA.

Pretak came up with the idea during the 2020 pandemic. Gatherings were limited when her birthday rolled around, so she asked several of her talented, musical theater-loving friends to record themselves singing their favorite Broadway tune. They submitted the videos and, on her birthday, everyone gathered virtually to watch the performances. The following year an in-person concert was held, and it has become an annual tradition since.

This year’s show featured performers that were a mix of professional musicians, college students studying musical theatre, and some of Tracie Pretak’s (Bailey’s mom) voice students.  Guests paid for a ticket to the show and had the opportunity to bid on themed auction baskets.  It was a great evening and Pretak was able to raise over $3,000 for FIRST!

THANK YOU to all our grassroots fundraisers!

Tips for Creative Fundraising:

• Remember people are eager to connect
• Everyone has different boundaries – allow for many choices in participation
• Food, entertainment, and information are universal draws
• Use technology to get the word out and tell your story
• Contact FIRST to build a fundraising page

To learn more about hosting a fundraiser Contact Denise Gass at FIRST