By Maddy Vitale
Caitlin Quirk is just 27 and already owns a downtown children’s boutique, Bowfish Kids, in Ocean City.
Her good fortune and her opportunities give her a platform to be able to give back.
And because she feels so fortunate, she has donated to charities through Bowfish Kids since she opened her store over five years ago.
Every year, Quirk and her team fundraise for an array of charities. But the one that is near and dear to her heart is the Kisses for Kyle Foundation, a nonprofit for children suffering from cancer.
“I feel so fortunate that I am in the position where I can give back and I have a platform in Bowfish Kids to help,” she said. “I know that with the Kisses for Kyle Foundation the money goes directly to the kids. “Kids with cancer – why wouldn’t you want to give to that cause?”
Bowfish Kids raised nearly $800 in funds, from mid-November to present, for the Kisses for Kyle Foundation through a “Giving Tree” toy drive. The foundation buys toys for children with cancer using money donated at Bowfish Kids and other fundraising locations. Three of the children who will receive toys live in Ocean City.
Tree ornaments gave descriptions of the desired toys. Bowfish Kids, in turn, will send the donations on to the foundation. The tree is displayed prominently in the shop, located at 956 Asbury Ave.
Hundreds of kids in the Tri-state area receive toys through the foundation, according to its website www.kissesforkyle.org.
Quirk said she was pleased with the results of the fundraising drive and hopes it is even bigger next year.
Bowfish Kids manager Catherine Reisig said what she found most touching about the charity drive was when a group of seven local children decided to buy a gift for a child suffering from cancer, instead of buying gifts for each other or themselves.
“I just love working for a place that really cares about the community,” Reisig said. “We are always doing events like this, and it makes working here more important on a larger scale.”
For more information about Bowfish Kids visit www.bowfishkids.com. For more on the Kisses for Kyle Foundation visit www.kissesforkyle.org.
