This amazing family project began during a girl scout visit to a local police station in 2009. As the police officers were describing the importance of car seats to a group of first graders, one of the members of the Brownie Girl Scout troop asked, "What happens if people can't afford the car seats?" With that simple question from the mouth of a child, Buckle Up Babes was born.
Kerri Ash and her daughter Ellory were at that Brownie outing, and the Ash family decided to help. The family members joined together to brainstorm ideas of items they could make and sell to raise funds to provide car seats to those in need. They thought of bracelets and rubber band loom items, and finally landed on the Marshmallow Snowmen, sold for $1 each, that have become the product of Buckle Up Babes assembly lines for over a decade. The first year, they had a goal to raise $25 to purchase one booster seat for a family in need. The parents emailed friends and family members about their efforts, and the snowmen sold out immediately. In the first year of the project, they raised enough money to purchase two car seats, thanks to a generous discount provided by Babies R Us. In the second year, they expanded their assembly line efforts to include friends and were able to raise enough money to donate one booster seat and one infant car seat to families in need through St. Alexius hospital.
Today, the snowmen building parties have grown to create 500-600 snowmen each year and this year they built an amazing 647 snowmen - all of which are sold! Groups that have helped with the building parties have included everyone from sports teams that the Ash kids have played with to church small groups to gatherings of family and friends.
Kerri Ash works with infant social workers at a variety of locations including St. Alexius Hospital, Northwest Community Hospital, Fellowship Housing in Hoffman Estates, CEDA-WIC Rolling Meadows, Safe Families, and, most recently, CASA - a group that works with children in the welfare system.
While the individuals love to come together to create the snowmen, there are supplies that are needed to create each one. The snowmen consist of three marshmallows that are placed on a pretzel stick. A fruit roll up is used to create the scarf and hat and a frosting face is added. Each snowman is placed into a cup on a bed of M&M candies and then wrapped into a bag. Approximately five years ago a neonatologist from Alexian Brothers Hospital made a commitment to donate the supplies to build the snowmen, ensuring that the greatest amount of the proceeds would support the purchase of car seats rather than operational items. Recently a local pediatrician also donated supplies to support Buckle Up Babes.
In 2018, Buckle Up Babes donated 24 car seats through social workers. In 2019 they have donated 15 car seats so far.
 |  |
I have known Kerri for years, back in the days when we were both PTA co-presidents in our respective schools. She has always been one to give back, whether it was through PTA or through her role on the Arts Commission in Hoffman Estates or through her church. Kerri views this entire project as a faith journey and she says she is happy to be the "hands and feet for God's project."
Thank you, Ash family, for all you do to help those in need! You are an inspirational part of our community that makes us happy to live here. And thanks, Kerri, for the opportunity to catch up over coffee so I could share your amazing story!
If you know of an inspirational mom or family in the Palatine-Barrington-Inverness-Deer Park area, please reach out to me at joanscovic@macaronikid.com. I'd love to share their story too!
