Jim Casciano’s philsophy for coaching at Woodlawn School and beyond

OneYayat a Time

Zoey and Ella Boukedes are all smiles when it comes to helping others

by Grace Kennedy Photography by Jamie Cowles

From left to right: Ella and Zoey Boukedes encourage others to participate in Yay!DAY on Oct. 30.

The origins of Yay!DAY go back to one family dinner when then nine-year-old Zoey Boukedes and her 13-year-old sister Ella noticed the room felt ... heavy. “Everyone seemed negative and stressed, and I thought it would be cool if people could just drop all that negativity and be positive no matter what,” recalls Zoey Boukedes, who is now a veteran fundraiser at the age of 13.

Zoey, a Bailey Middle School eighth grader, and Ella, a Hough High senior, were able to turn a simple but powerful idea into an annual fundraiser making waves across the community through determination and the robust support of their parents. Their restaurateur father Chris, whose portfolio includes On the Nines, Galway Hooker, and BoatyardLKN, along with their mom, have formed an unstoppable team bent on growing Yay!DAY year after year.

So what exactly is Yay!DAY? The goal for the annual day, observed on Oct. 30 and rolled out for weeks beforehand, is to “spread happiness and joy through one simple word: YAY!” The name Yay!DAY conveys the enthusiasm of its youngest founder. “Me being my nine-year-old self, whenever I felt positive I would do a little cheer or dance and shout, ‘Yay,’” says Zoey.

On the first annual Yay!DAY, the Boukedes family sold shirts at YayDayLife.com and donated the proceeds to four hand-selected charities that each hold meaning for the Boukedes family: Food Allergy and Research Education, due to Zoey having severe food allergies; Stand Up Speak Out, the CMS anti-bullying program; Be the Match, in honor of the girls’ grandfather who they lost to bone marrow disease; and JDRF, the leading organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

Ella and Zoey have continued to support these four organizations as Yay!DAY has grown each year. They recently funded “Buddy Benches” for JV Washam Elementary, providing a place where children can sit to signal they need a friend. They also donated to Bailey Middle School to fund flags carrying positive messages throughout the halls.

For the Boukedes sisters, philanthropy comes naturally. “Our parents taught us since we can remember to always look to help people,” says Ella. “From doing charity donations instead of gifts at birthday parties or lemonade stands to raise money for cancer, we were taught from a young age that it is always good to give back and be positive.”

Here is how you can help #RadiatePositivity for Yay!DAY 2021: Purchase shirts, pins, and more at YayDayLife.com. Wear your Yay!DAY apparel on Oct. 30 and post photos to social media with #yaydaylife in your post. Follow @yaydaylife on Facebook and Instagram for more ways to help, including giveaways and community events. Most importantly, as Zoey and Ella say, “Do not let anything ruin your day!”