The second annual Kids’ Sunday Funday Event is returning to The Shoppes at Cross Keys on Sunday, Oct. 13 from noon to 3 p.m. at its location in the Sicklerville portion of Gloucester Township.
Last year, The Jemstone Group, LLC, the location’s owners, celebrated its first event, inviting residents to visit for a free afternoon of games, vendors, fun and more. This year, the owners look to do the same, while also hoping to create positive change after forming a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“We really like their cause and we love what they do,” said Joseph Jemal, one of the location’s owners, alongside his brother Sam.
The charity component of the Kids’ Sunday Funday event works on a few different levels throughout the afternoon. For starters, the nonprofit will be at the location raising money and requesting donations from those attending. However, the owners hope for benefits that last past the single-day event.
“This is where we hope to be the most impactful,” said Joseph. “It’s always good to have something that lasts a day but we want it to last many, many days past this. … St. Jude’s will be looking to sign up people for their monthly donation list to support their great cause.”
Additionally, The Jemstone Group, LCC will be matching 100 percent of all donations to the charity that are raised during the day of the event.
“Certainly we will match whatever funds are raised that day, and we hope that has an impact,” said Joseph. “But what we think has the most lasting effect are those people in the community that sign up to continue to make donations and be a part of the St. Jude’s family and continue to learn more about their organization.”
Business consultant for The Jemstone Group Lisa Wolf said the hope is that The Jemstone Group is able to have a successful first fundraiser with the nonprofit, and thus able to possibly do additional fundraising campaigns, or something similar, in the future.
To attract kids and families to the second annual event, the Kids’ Sunday Funday event from noon to 3 p.m. at The Shoppes at Cross Keys has free admission, parking and activities for children provided by Wizard’s Festival of Fun.
The event includes a kids town firehouse, fun slide, inflatable course, airbrush tattoos, balloon artist, vendors, food trucks, emergency responder trucks and vehicles and more.
The event hopes to build off of last year’s success, according to the Jemal brothers, who were excited to see last year’s inaugural event turn out better than expected.
“It was a great result last year, and this year I think will be a lot stronger coming off that success,” said Joseph. “We’ve stepped up in terms of the organizational focus. Last year we had plenty of good attractions, but this year I feel like we stepped it up.”
Moving forward, the Jemal brothers say they hope to continue to grow as a part of the community as they strive to help organizations and provide fun activities for families.
“We try to make events like this for the community, we believe it’s a great community and we’re happy to connect and be a part of it,” said Joseph.
