Town & Style 9.7.22

SHARING IN THE CELEBRATION | WEST COUNTY CENTER

by Stephanie Wallace

AS WELL AS BEING IMPORTANT MILESTONES, birthdays are a time of happiness. This year, West County Center is turning 20, and on Sept. 20, it’s throwing a special celebration—but the birthday joy doesn’t stop there. The shopping center has partnered with the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition (FACC) to ensure local children living in foster care can enjoy their special days, too. Shoppers can donate gift cards from West County Center stores to children who could use a birthday surprise.

FACC helps children and their foster families celebrate with its Birthday Buddies program. The initiative matches donors with children in foster care who are unlikely to receive any gifts on their birthdays. “Many foster parents have big hearts but not wallets, and birthday gifts often are an extra expense they cannot cover,” explains Shelley Thomas-Benke, FACC director of volunteers. The gift card drive at West County Center has allowed the nonprofit to reach even more youth in foster care, including older teens who may be preparing to age out of the system.

To make a donation, West County shoppers first need to visit the large, decorative birthday cake on Level 1 of the mall near Nordstrom. Shoppers can take an envelope from the cake, purchase a gift card from the store indicated and drop the donation inside the cake. They can even include a personal message to the child with the gift. “For many of these kids, getting to shop for themselves is a rare occurrence,” Thomas-Benke says. “I had one parent tell me that their foster child was able to buy a name brand track suit with his gift card. He was excited because he never had anything like it before. He got to feel proud of the clothes he wore for the first time. It’s not just a birthday treat, but also a self esteem boost.”

West County Center launched the gift card drive in spring of 2021. It had previously worked with FACC on an annual sock and underwear drive. Looking for a charitable initiative to celebrate Missouri’s bicentennial, the shopping center’s marketing director, Sean Phillips, reached out about collaborating again. Since then, shoppers have donated more than $14,000 worth of gift cards to ensure kids and teens can feel celebrated on their birthdays. “This has been the most amazing partnership,” Thomas-Benke notes. “We’re so grateful that the center chose us for this program. Hundreds of kids have been impacted by the birthday initiative at West County Center.”

The shopping center soon will celebrate its own milestone as Sept. 20 marks the 20th anniversary of its remodel and reopening. Guests who choose to dine at West County Center on that day will be able to enjoy festivities like free caricatures, balloon sculptures and live music. Starting at 11 a.m., the first 20 diners at California Pizza Kitchen and Nordstrom Cafe Bistro for lunch will receive a special gift, and the same is true for the first 20 dinner guests at J. Gilberts and California Pizza Kitchen, starting at 4 p.m. “The traditional gift for a 20th anniversary is china, so we’re giving away vases embossed with a gold dove along with gift cards to the restaurants,” Phillips notes. “We hope that the community comes out to celebrate with us.” t&s