Ben Gervais is a husband, father and huge supporter of Children’s Minnesota. So, it was no surprise that he decided to dedicate his birthday to raise funds for our mission: Caring for the most amazing people on earth—Kids!
On his birthday, Ben and his family supported local businesses by getting take-out lunch and dinner from Cecils Deli in St. Paul and Revival in Minneapolis. Ben continued to do good on his birthday by starting a birthday fundraiser on Facebook dedicated to Children’s Minnesota.
A birthday to fund for good
Ben recently became a dad for the second time, so on his birthday he was on paternity leave. He set up the fundraiser for Children’s Minnesota on Facebook the night before, and starting posting solicitations when he woke up at 4 a.m. for one of his son’s feedings.
When asked why he chose us for his fundraiser he said: “I believe in the mission of Children’s Minnesota—Children’s [Minnesota] doesn’t turn anyone away.”
Ben sits on the Children’s Minnesota ‘Children’s Council’, his wife works for the Children’s Minnesota Foundation, and both of his sons were born at The Mother Baby Center and do all of their appointments at Children’s Minnesota. His whole family is intertwined into the pediatric non profit system that Children’s Minnesota is.
“I wanted to bring attention to how COVID-19 is affecting medical sectors and use my birthday as a way to fund for good,” Ben said.
Ben started his birthday fundraiser goal at $500. After that was quickly, raised he continued to up his goal and by today, he reached a total of $1,116 that will be donated to Children’s Minnesota.
Dedicated to putting smiles on his neighbor’s faces
Although during his birthday, Minnesota was under a ‘Shelter in Place’ order by Governor Tim Walz, Ben still made it a day to remember.
Besides supporting local businesses, Ben took a few walks with his two sons, wife and dogs, but these were no ordinary walks. Ben and his older son dressed up in their superhero costumes for their walks.
“There is so much anxiety and angst going around with COVID-19; I thought it’d be funny to dress up as Superman and my son as Spiderman and go for a walk,” said Ben.
People took notice throughout their neighborhood. “Kids came out to wave to us in their yards, people gave us thumbs-up from their cars and families waved from inside their homes,” described Ben.
“I thought it was something to break us out of those feelings of anxiety and angst and put a smile on people’s faces,” Ben said. And that’s exactly what it did.
Ben continues to go on walks with his family dressed up in superhero costumes and continues to spread a burst of happiness throughout his neighborhood.