A Kid Again, whose local chapter is located in Montgomery, provides consistent, year-round, free adventures for children with life-threatening medical conditions and their families. These adventures include a Valentine's Bash, Kings Island days, Cincinnati Reds games, BB Riverboat rides, Newport Aquarium visits, Cincinnati Zoo excursions and more. At these adventures, parking, admissions, meals, gifts for the children and priceless experiences are all provided.
A Kid Again also offers a sense of community to families. “At the adventures, our enrolled children no longer feel like ‘the sick kid’,” A Kid Again Development Manager Amanda Witt tells us. “Siblings and caregivers don't have to worry about how others will react to how their child looks, their medical devices or their unique conditions. There is a sense of empathy, understanding and camaraderie.”
A Kid Again also provides support for the mental health of these families. “It is crucial for children to experience the joy of childhood,” Amanda explains. “It's crucial for siblings and caregivers to get those experiences as well. By providing the family a reprieve from their day-to-day struggles, we can take some of that mental load off...even if only for a few hours.”
A Kid Again was founded in 1995 in Columbus by Jeffery Damon. Jeffery had previously been part of a nonprofit providing singular wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, but he felt like something was missing. Once the wish was fulfilled, the child didn't have anything to look forward to. That is where the idea originated for the ongoing adventures that A Kid Again offers. Though they started from humble, grassroots beginnings, they now serve close to 20,000 families across the United States, 1,400 of those are right here in the Southwest Ohio area.
"Sometimes words aren't enough to convey how much these outings mean to a family,” a local family shares. “We struggle emotionally and financially. Outings are difficult and sometimes the logistics are just too much to coordinate to make them happen, so we just don't. Today, we were at Kings Island making memories and treasuring the special times that we don't often get to have."
As their enrollment numbers continue to climb, they are focusing more on fundraising. “We now have a development manager role on the Southwest Ohio team and we are concentrating on helping sustain our incredible growth,” Amanda explains.
The A Kid Again Holiday Adventure will be held on December 7 from 2-5 p.m. at Matthew 25 Ministries, hosting nearly 2,000 guests. The families get to experience a walk-thru winter wonderland with various activities, including arts & crafts, face painting, photo opportunities with Santa, the Grinch, superheroes, princesses and more! Other event features include arcade games, bounce houses, treats and the beloved Candy Tree Forest. At the end of the event, each family receives a sack of presents with a hand-selected gift for each child in their family.
The community can get involved by helping fund gift purchases, volunteering or donating at My.AKidAgain.org/HolidaySWO.
“It is crucial for children to experience the joy of childhood. By providing the family a reprieve from their day-to-day struggles, we can take some of that mental load off…even if only for a few hours.”