Voting Period: November 2 – November 13 at 11:59 p.m. CT
Thank you to every Designer who nominated a deserving individual or family for our 5th annual Live Sparkly® “Share the Sparkle” campaign!
This annual campaign is one of the most important things we do to fulfill our mission to be a Force For Good® in the community, and we are grateful you’re with us every step of the way!
We’re proud to share that we’ve expanded our annual campaign to include nominations from our Willing Beauty Advocates. Willing Beauty is part of the Origami Owl Family of Brands and is committed to also being a Force For Good through its giveback program, the Willing Hearts Project.
This year’s Live Sparkly “Share the Sparkle” campaign includes our usual four, Designer-nominated stories, AND we are also including two nominations from our Willing Beauty Advocates. The story that receives the most love (votes) from the Origami Owl nominations, and the story that receives the most love (votes) from the Willing Beauty nominations, will each receive a Live Sparkly gift.
Starting November 2 through November 13, we invite you and your community to vote once a day for the story or stories that touch your heart.
Go to LiveSparkly.com/Share-the-Sparkle/Vote/ and vote for the individual or family you believe deserves a little extra sparkle in their lives.
Voting officially ends on November 13 at 11:59 p.m. CT. You can vote once a day for as many stories as you’d like, and make sure to spread the word to your Customers, team and community!
Here are the stories and the Origami Owl Designers and Willing Beauty Advocates who nominated them:
Origami Owl-Nominated Stories
Give Healing and a New Start to Parents After Tragic Loss of Their Three Children
Meet Lauren and Michael Masterson
On August 16, 2020, the Masterson family experienced the unthinkable: a head-on collision took the lives of their three, precious young children, Victoria, 10; Ella, 4; and Mason, 2, and left dad, Michael, injured. After the accident, Michael and Lauren were too heartbroken to go back to their family home filled with the memories of their children and where they spent every day playing, laughing, singing, and dancing. They chose to move in with Michael’s parents temporarily, while he continues to recover and they figure out their next step. As Michael and Lauren struggle to cope and heal amid this unimaginable loss, Origami Owl Designer Deb Schiron, hopes to support this couple, once they find a new place to live, with new furnishings and help create a space to honor their three angels. The most important thing for them in a new home is for it to be a place of healing; a place where they can continue to strengthen their faith in God, grow together, heal their hearts, and honor their children. Deb prays that she can help this couple heal without the stress of trying fill empty bedrooms. Her desire with this gift is to help their hearts become full again someday.
Nominated by: Origami Owl Designer Deb Schiron
Help Them Stay Together: A Wish for an Accessible Van For Twins With Special Needs
Meet Sarah, Isaac and Isabella Serna
Sarah Serna is a licensed vocational nurse with more than 20 years of experience. Just 17 years ago, she gave birth to miracle twins, weighing under two pounds each. The twins, Isaac and Isabella, were born 27 weeks premature and stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for the first three months of their lives, and have since encountered significant diagnoses: cerebral palsy, scoliosis, partial seizures, developmental delays, and blindness. Sarah, a single mother, has given up everything, including her career, to care for her teenaged twins. Unfortunately, she’s unable to take them to their appointments together right now because her vehicle can’t accommodate both children’s special needs. Origami Owl Designer Christina Reyes hopes to fulfill Sarah’s wish for an accessible van so they can go to appointments and family outings together as a family.
Nominated by: Origami Owl Designer Christina Reyes
Help for a Single Mom During Jobless Struggles From COVID-19
Meet Amanda Bedford
Prior to the global pandemic and spread of COVID-19, things were looking up for Amanda Bedford and her three young kids. Amanda had finally secured a job and was looking forward to getting back on her feet to help move her family forward. However, the global shutdown of businesses impacted her position, and she’s since struggled to simply provide for her kids while taking them to their medical and counseling appointments to work through their past experiences with sexual abuse and domestic violence as well as mental health challenges. Through it all, Amanda has been the glue for the family. Though she currently does not have a car, she always finds ways to take her kids to their appointments through public transportation and friends. Origami Owl Designer Lorraine Donnarumma wants to bless Amanda with a car and Christmas gifts to help give her and her family a little sparkle in a difficult time, and the boost they need to move forward.
Nominated by: Origami Owl Designer Lorraine Donnarumma
Gift Love and Recognition to a Special Needs Mom Who Gives Her All to Others
Meet Autumn Woods
From a young age, Autumn Woods’ grandparents taught her to always consider how she could help others. It’s part of what inspired her giving group called, “Special Needs BIPOC Single Moms Help Group,” which focuses on fulfilling the wishes of local, special needs moms who request necessities such as diapers, or bigger, essential needs. Origami Owl Designer Lanie Carlson joined the group and began supporting fundraising efforts and met Autumn in the process. She learned that Autumn has two children, has two children, Blake and Kendall-Reign, and suffers from pulmonary sarcoidosis, which has resulted in chronic fatigue and narcolepsy. Meanwhile, Autumn’s daughter, , Kendall-Reign, is developmentally delayed, has speech apraxia, sensory issues and an unknown sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall and stay asleep. With so much on her plate, but a heart fueled by giving to others, Origami Owl Designer Lanie Carlson hopes to give Autumn and her two children some holiday sparkle (and rest) she deserves. Their needs include, a sensory swing for Kendall-Reign, a few items for their home, a couch, dresser, curtains, and a donation to assist other single mothers who are struggling in the group.
Nominated by: Origami Owl Designer Lanie Carlson
Willing Beauty-Nominated Stories
Fulfill Ryan’s Bucket List as He Fights an Incurable, Degenerative Disease
Meet Ryan Alum
Ryan is a 16-year-old who always has a smile on his face, an upbeat attitude and loves to crack jokes. Like most teenaged boys, he loves school, watching football, fishing, and cars. But Ryan is battling a rare, incurable disease called mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN), which is associated with neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). This degenerative disease is fatal, and will slowly hinder Ryan’s ability to walk, talk, and swallow. He can develop dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and a host of other issues. Though in a wheelchair and often in therapy to combat the progression, including pain and the inability to control his muscle movements, Ryan and his family relentlessly raise awareness and money to help fund essential research at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. With the time Ryan has left, Willing Beauty Advocate Viki Mutarelli would like to help him fulfill his bucket list and bless his family with many memories before he is unable to achieve his wishes. She also hopes to further support the family by providing a generous donation to support ongoing research of MPAN so other families will not have to endure this incurable disease.
Nominated by: Willing Beauty Advocate Viki Mutarelli
Help a Single Mother Deliver a Happy Christmas to Her Four Boys
Meet Devin Higgins
At 26 weeks pregnant, single mother Devin Higgins’ little boy made an abrupt, early arrival into the world after seven weeks in the hospital due to ongoing complications. Unfortunately, her little boy struggled with meningitis, breathing, and eating challenges. Long after Devin was discharged from the hospital, she had to travel two hours to Iowa City to see and support her little boy while leaving her other three boys with friends and family. To compound the challenges, Devin was unable to work for months and her primary family support, her grandmother, passed away. She’s now back to work, but still driving to see her son, who’s on a feeding tube and oxygen. Willing Beauty Advocate Allison Ruth’s hope is to give Devin and her boys a happy Christmas to bring a sparkle to their lives in an overwhelmingly difficult year.
Nominated by: Willing Beauty Advocate Allison Ruth
We will announce the individual or family with the most votes for the Origami Owl Designer-nominated stories and Willing Beauty Advocate-nominated stories towards the end of December 2020, so stay tuned.
How You’ve Given Back + Can Continue to Give Back
We’ve been honored to give a little sparkle back on your behalf over the past four years. Because of you, we were able to gift Aris and Vanessa a wheelchair-accessible van and send Lexi and Tiley on a memorable family vacation to Disneyland. We were also able to gift a check and a shopping spree to Becky and Landon and last year, a trip to Disney World for the Machado children, who tragically lost both parents in a car accident.
All of this is because YOU have been a Force For Good®, encouraging your Customers to purchase our Live Sparkly Multi-Color Stardust Swarovski Crystals, so many other beautiful jewelry pieces we’ve featured in the Live Sparkly Shop for a Cause Shop. Willing Beauty is also contributing a percentage of the profits from its three Willing Beauty XO Lip Oils, Wild Berry, Coconut and Peppermint, to support the annual Live Sparkly “Share the Sparkle” campaign for 2020. The Stardust Crystals give back 100% of the profits to the annual campaign.
Our Live Sparkly campaign is the heart of who we are and our mission to be a Force For Good, and we are grateful for every way you partner with us to give back to our community.
Start sharing Live Sparkly voting today and let’s help a deserving individual or family so they can get a little sparkle back in their lives.
