GIBRALTAR, Mich. – A junior at Carlson High School in Gibraltar is spreading kindness one box at a time, creating an organization that provides all-in-one birthday celebration kits to children in need across the Downriver area.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Eaton founded Project Celebrate Downriver while looking for volunteer opportunities as a member of the National Honor Society.
Eaton said he decided to create his own project after realizing how meaningful birthdays can be, and how some families may not have the resources to throw a party.
“I’m a big birthday person, I love celebrating my birthdays, and I just came up with the idea to create these birthday boxes for the Downriver community and give them back to families so they can celebrate their children’s birthdays,” Eaton said.
Eaton launched the effort on social media, creating a Facebook page for Project Celebrate Downriver.
He also set up Amazon and Walmart wish lists to collect party supplies, and donations started coming in quickly with help from local businesses that shared the project and encouraged others to contribute.
“It blew my expectations out of the water,” Eaton said. “I expected this to start very slowly, maybe gain a little bit of traction, but it just blew up out of nowhere.”
Each birthday box is designed to make hosting a celebration as simple as possible. Inside, the kits contain decorations, plates, napkins, and utensils, along with ingredients and supplies needed to make a cake.
With boxes packed, Eaton’s next step is getting them to families who can use them. He has contacted local school districts and area nonprofits to help identify households that may need assistance celebrating a child’s birthday.
Families can also request a birthday box directly through a form linked on the organization’s Facebook page.
For Eaton, the goal is to ensure kids feel recognized and celebrated, even when money is tight.
“It’s great to see these going back to kids who otherwise wouldn’t have celebrations,” he said. “It’s just going to put a smile on their face, and I’m going to be behind that, and it just makes me feel so great.”