Guests came dressed in costumes ready to participate in games, win raffles and raise money for The Sparkle of Tinnley Organization on a recent Saturday.
The Harmon family organized an event at the Wolf Creek Brewery to help raise funds for the organization, which was created in memory of their daughter Tinnley, who died after battling leukemia at age 2.
“She was hilarious, she was goofy and she just had this special thing about her, which we called her ‘sparkle’,” said Brittany Harmon, Tinnley’s mother. “So that’s where we came up with the name of the organization. We want to spread her sparkle.”
Harmon said her daughter loved to dress in costumes, specifically Disney princess costumes. She added that costumes were often made with uncomfortable material and were difficult to wash. Proceeds from the fundraiser will provide well-made, easy-to-clean costumes for children at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Harmon said.
The event offered activities for children and adults. Children were able to meet characters, such as Captain America and Elsa from “Frozen.” Face painting was also available, and a Play-Dough table was designated so children could make a creation, which Harmon said would be brought to children at the children’s hospital the following day.
Adults were able to participate in a cornhole tournament and join the bone-marrow donation registry through the Be The Match foundation. Booths from local organizations were also available to raise awareness of local resources.
Harmon said this was the first fundraiser of The Sparkle of Tinnley Organization. “I’m so grateful for everyone who has offered us support and I look forward to making it even bigger and better next year,” she added.
