That’s exactly what we did. The idea came from the exuberant mind of my aunt/coach/boss (she prefers the first 2 titles), who wanted to celebrate her 50^th birthday in a very special way. So she dropped the 0 and came up with an event-filled weekend that tapped into our inner-child. There was kite flying, arcade games, balloon toss, bumper cars, bowling, and home-made funny hats. Months before, we discussed which events she wanted (and her love of Pac-man), and I designed the invite seen below as my gift to her. I made versions in Adobe Illustrator for print and web. All in all,  the entire weekend was loaded with fantastic activities, friends, and laughter, but one thing I found truly commendable was that she requested that she be given no material possessions. Instead, she asked that attendees donate their time or the money they would have spent on a gift toward 2 local charities:

WOW:  Women Empowering Women – A Helping Hand for Single Mothers! They provide “Helping Hands” ready to help educate, inspire and “empower” single mothers to seek out solutions to their challenges. Help by donating money (their first preference), beauty products, clothes, and diapers or volunteer. Their website provides other ways to help.

Community Project for Seniors  – Their mission is to enrich the lives of low income senior citizens who reside in subsidized housing. They provide critical services for elderly individuals without a family support system, and mobility-challenged individuals over the age of fifty. Help by donating money, toiletries, blankets, games, cleaning supplies, or food.  A detailed list can be found on their website.

Birthday Invite Created in Adobe Illustrator