Celebrating the importance of life, Beautiful Day has made a mission to make people all over the state of Oklahoma feel special and loved.

Beautiful Day is a nonprofit organization where, once a month, volunteers throw birthday parties in elementary schools, celebrating every kid with a birthday for the present month.

Currently, Beautiful Day reaches out to twelve school districts, totaling to seventeen elementary schools throughout southwestern Oklahoma.

Starting their third year at Marlow, the foundation celebrates approximately 720 kids birthdays a year at Marlow Elementary School.

Head Liaison Jessica Garvin, a volunteer for the organization since 2015, describes what Beautiful Day does for the children.

“When we celebrate students’ birthdays, a bracelet, handmade card, and a meal from a local source is given to them as a gift. They also receive a book called “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman, which is a simple reminder to them that the day they were born was a magical and important day in the world,” says Garvin. “The birthday kids get a box full of delicious cupcakes to take to their classes where they get to celebrate their birthday with their friends.”

Creating a sense of pride for every single kid to be able to share their birthday with their peers, Beautiful Day could not do so without the help of volunteers.

“Marlow is currently the largest elementary school involved in Beautiful Day,” says Garvin. “The community gives so much love to our volunteers and financial support to our cause that we keep a large majority of our money right here in the town by ordering lunch from local businesses.”

To get high school students involved in the movement, last year, MHS student council had requested to actively take part in Beautiful Day’s mission.

Taking on their second year, the first event of this school year took place on Tuesday, August 21.

Having participated four times since last year with Beautiful Day, MHS student council president, senior Lily Smith, explains how she and other members contributed to the birthday parties.

“Student council members were given the opportunity to meet elementary children whose birthdays were during the summer,” says Smith. “We got to talk to the students who trust us wholeheartedly and love us like no other; they’re so accepting of us.”

Taking notice of how influential a role model is, Smith says she is grateful for the experiences gained from her volunteering.

“These elementary kids have truly changed my life,” says Smith. “Beautiful Day shows how big of an impact just one ‘Happy Birthday!’ can have on kids who need to be celebrated and accepted in order to grow.”

Reaching out to a different group of people in need of love, Beautiful Day began the Kindred Community four years ago this community focuses on the well-being of widows.

Once a month, widows meet and connect with other widows who have experienced the same grief as them.

The goal is to share and lighten the weight of grief among themselves through a dinner party, lessening the feeling of isolation.

As Beautiful Day continues to serve the community by lifting up spirits, the organization is living up to their motto – ‘Loving people until they ask why.’