President’s Update:
I’m so appreciative to our board and volunteers who have successfully helped us submit our nonprofit paperwork, host our first fundraiser, kick-off our first fundraising campaign, write our first newsletter, develop flyers, and distribute an accessibility and inclusivity survey. Be on the lookout for an updated logo and website! Our current priorities are finding a location, promoting the Founding 150 Campaign, and developing human capital. I encourage you to find a way to get involved. This project is a community effort and your support is appreciated!
– Tosha Pelfrey
Fundraising News:
Pumpkin Carving Contest
Tuesday, October 5th at 6:00 pm
Outside The Market
Come kick off Halloween season at Huntington Children’s Museum’s first annual Chefs vs. Surgeons Pumpkin Carving Contest on Tuesday, October 5 at 6 PM outside The Market. Grab dinner at The Market and then enjoy the show!
All contestants will have an hour to carve their masterpieces unless YOU decide to donate to extend their carving time. Additional minutes up to 60 will be available (for $5 a minute) before the event.
After the event, vote for your favorite contestant by donating. The contestant who receives the most donations will be crowned carving royalty on October 30th at 8:30 pm at The Pumpkin House. For more information, or to donate please visit givebutter.com/K180dp or simply text Pumpkin to (202) 858-1233.
Surgeons
Dr. Amiri is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Marshall University. He specializes in General and Robotic
Surgery. In his time off, he enjoys woodworking, automobiles, camping, and spending time with his wife and 3 dogs. He’s looking forward to using his carving skills on a pumpkin this Fall. His main goal is to out-carve
Marty!
Dr. Felix Cheung never says something tastes like chicken, not even chicken. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. His “two cents” are worth $38 in change. When he removes a Sarcoma, the Sarcoma thanks him. He will bring a knife to this gunfight, just to even the odds. He is simply The Most Interesting Surgeon in the World.
Dr. Fry is an associate professor of Ophthalmology at Marshall Eye Surgeons. He has never carved a pumpkin before, but he is nothing if not bold in his endeavors. He will commune with the pumpkin and let it proclaim exactly how it wishes to be carved.
Dr. Andrea Kellar is an OB/GYN for Valley Health and has offices in Huntington and Hurricane. She has been designated as a Surgeon of Excellence in minimally invasive gynecology. Halloween is one of her favorite holidays and she has carved many pumpkins with her two children, Cam and Juliana. She is up for the competition and ready to take on all of her challengers.
Dr. Oliashirazi is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The safety and comfort of his pumpkin will be of utmost importance during the surgery. He will be wearing a surgical spacesuit to perform this delicate procedure.
Chefs
Izzy Cross and her husband Mark are the owners of 21 at the Frederick restaurant. Izzy has an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, a field in which she has worked for over 20 years. She is currently the lead chef instructor for Mountwest Community and Technical College’s Culinary Arts Program. She and Mark live in Huntington, WV. They have two kids, Camila and Fisher, and two dogs, Mr. Bacon and Dumpling. Her favorite part of Halloween is creating unique costumes, especially related to food!
Allison White is an entrepreneur and owner of Sip Downtown Brasserie. She grew up in Huntington, WV, and graduated from Huntington High School in 2000. Allison attended Marshall University and graduated in 2005 with a degree in Accounting, and received her MBA in 2007. In 2009 she obtained a Culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University. She is a proud mother of a 3-year-old daughter and wife to Dr. Scott Keffer.
Chef Marty Emerson is the manager of Huntington’s Kitchen where he has taught all ages how to prepare healthy meals. Marty has been a part of bringing healthy to life for our community. At Huntington’s Kitchen we partner with many different organizations to offer education on health, wellness and nutrition as well as provide people with resources and hands-on classes to be healthy at home. Huntington’s Kitchen is part of the prestigious Teaching Kitchen Collaborative and is part of Mountain Health Network.
FOUNDING 150 Campaign
We are pleased to announce our Founding 150 campaign! This exciting and unique effort will help us raise over $150,000 from area individuals, groups, and businesses to build a strong foundation. Financial support of the
Founding 150, named in honor of the City of Huntington’s 150th birthday, will go directly toward efforts in site selection, facility design, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) exhibit development, just to name a few!
You can become one of the Founding 150 for the Huntington Children’s Museum by making a
donation of $1,000 or more. The Founding 150 will be recognized in the museum with a personalized plaque to celebrate their early support of our vision and will also be recognized via various outlets, such as social media, our website, and future newsletters throughout the campaign. Please visit us on Facebook to find out more about the project.
If you are interested in supporting this endeavor, please notify us via email at info@hcmkids.org. Founding 150 contributions will be accepted until we reach 150 donations of $1,000 or greater. If you would like to discuss this opportunity, or other financial support, with any members of our board, please reach out to us via email. You can also visit tinyurl.com/HCM150.
Meet the Board:
President, Tosha Pelfrey
Tosha is the President of Huntington Children’s Museum. She is a former middle school teacher, has experience fundraising and organizing community events, and mom to Leela (4) and Landon (6). Tosha believes that play and community are essential to childhood development. She is so excited to work with other volunteers to bridge the two by bringing a children’s museum to Huntington. This shared community space will allow local families to reconnect and learn through play.
Favorite Children’s Museum: My family absolutely loved visiting the Orlando Science Center. The exhibits were hands-on and allowed for exploration. Recently we visited SPI in Mount Vernon, OH. While the space is small, it offers a calming environment and is packed with exhibits that encourage different types of play.
Additional Updates:
Sip & Tip Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone that came out to support our Sip & Tip Fundraiser at Sip Downtown Brasserie that was held on Wednesday, July 14th! It was a great night with great people, food and wine. A very special thank you to Allison White, owner of Sip Downtown Brasserie for giving us this fundraising opportunity, and our special bartenders Heather Davis, Sara Beth Nash, Karen Fry and Leah Richey for pouring and serving drinks. With your support we were able to raise $1677.
Accessibility & Inclusivity Community Survey
We’re reaching to organizations that provide services to children with special needs and/or families who live in at-risk environments to gather feedback through a survey regarding accessibility and inclusivity. If you provide (employee or volunteer) or receive services from one of these organizations and would like to take the survey, please visit https://forms.gle/16wrgVPsUq27Yb
Become a Volunteer!
If you would like to get more involved with the Huntington Children’s Museum, please fill out the volunteer form. Currently, we are looking for people to help manage our social media pages, handle email communication, and to
communicate with the media.
