Ahwatukee Community Baby Shower
Supports Nearly 70 Local Moms
There is an old proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But as we saw this past weekend at the Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis & Event Center, it also takes a village to welcome a child into the world.
When an entire community comes together with open hearts and open hands, the result is nothing short of magical. This year, the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee’s Community Baby Shower was a resounding success, reaching nearly 70 new and expectant moms and approximately 90 children from across the Valley.
More than 150 people—families, volunteers, students, agency partners, and community organizations—gathered to celebrate, support, and uplift these local families. And what a beautiful day it was.
More Than Just Supplies: A Message of Support
The logistics of the event were impressive. Every registered child received a thoughtfully prepared basket of new items, customized specifically for their age, size, and interests. Families were also invited to “shop” from an incredible collection of donated clothing, diapers, wipes, toys, books, and essential baby equipment.
But the Community Baby Shower has always been about much more than just things. It is about making sure new and expecting mothers know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they have a strong, caring community standing right behind them. For the 50 moms who joined us in person, and the 20 additional mothers who received care packages delivered to their homes, the message was clear: You are not alone, and you are deeply valued.
The Local Partners Who Made It Happen
An event of this scale requires the generous support of local businesses and professionals who believe in the mission. We are incredibly grateful to the partners who helped make the day special:
- Bubba’s 33 for providing a delicious, hearty meal for all the families and volunteers.
- Cinn Valley Sweets for donating beautiful cake pops and other sweet treats that added a touch of joy to the afternoon.
- Dr. Annie Nguyen, MD, of Horizon Health and Wellness, who generously gave her time and expertise, providing thermometers and other great-start items for our moms.
- Shaniqua Hopkins of 7th Dream Helping Hearts, who provided essential personal-hygiene products and took the time to connect moms with additional services and support available beyond the shower.
A Neighborhood-Wide Effort
The success of the baby shower did not start on the day of the event. It began months ago, when twelve locations throughout our community opened their doors to serve as donation collection sites.
We extend a massive thank you to our primary collection sites: Primrose Schools, the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA, West USA Realty, and the Ahwatukee Community Swim, Tennis & Event Center. They were joined by a wonderful network of local educators and faith leaders, including The Learning Experience, Triple R Preschool, God’s Garden Preschool, Mountain View Lutheran Church and Preschool, A Step Ahead Preschool, Whiz Kidz Preschool, Magical Journey Preschool, and Amici Trilingual Montessori Preschool.
Then, there are the people who simply showed up and did the work. A huge thank you to Mindy Duet and the Horizon Key Club students for their incredible, tireless support throughout the project and on event day.
We also want to recognize this year’s dedicated planning committee: Cheryl Nazareth Graves, Priscilla Vidal, Linda Burke, and Elsbeth Hurry. A special thanks goes to past-year advisors Andi Pettyjohn and Annlouise, who shared their wisdom and helped build upon the strong foundation of previous years.
Finally, we honor the army of volunteers who collected, sorted, hauled, assembled, checked, set up, helped families shop, and cleaned up. Thank you to Andi Pettyjohn, Missy Marchetta, Samantha Rich, Tiffany Sellwood, Maghen Lindholm, Holly Dutton, Krysten Leach, Beth Brown, Holly Miller, Angela Rella, Andrea Chisolm, Cameron Sharr, Nadine Danks, Savanna Curbelo, Lainey Martin, Raees Crosby, Jessica Santilla, Jenny Tanner Stone, Janishka Garg, Sandhya Kasturi, Tanish Garg, Lucia Ruiz, Vera Walker, and the many others who gave their time.
Keep the Tradition Going
Thousands of individual acts of generosity ultimately created this beautiful day. But the work for next year’s Community Baby Shower starts long before next fall.
Donations throughout the year are vital. They help the Kiwanis Club fill gaps, purchase diapers and essential baby items, and ensure that every participating child can receive a basket prepared especially for them.
If you would like to help continue this wonderful tradition of supporting new and expectant moms across the Valley, you can make a tax-deductible donation through the Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. You can learn more and donate at ahwatukeekiwanis.org.
