WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Krissy Longmore wanted to do something special in memory of her daughter Emily, who died three years ago after a battle with neuroblastoma.
"She always had a smile on her face. We always called her the spark plug of our family," said Krissy Longmore, Emily's mom. "She had a way making us laugh and bringing out the best in us."
The family decided to use their loss as an opportunity to give back to other children in similar situations. It's called Emily's Birthday Bash.
Every year, the family collects toys and then donates them to the Pediatric Oncology Clinic and Janet Weis Children's Hospital at Geisinger in Danville, where Emily received treatment.
"We know as parents of a child going through that how much that meant to our daughter, so we want to make sure that they have the resources there at the hospital to be able to do that for kids going through it now," said Josh Longmore, Emily's dad.
Each year, several businesses throughout Luzerne County help the family collect donations.
Participating businesses will have a toy collection box. Pour Coffee House in Wilkes-Barre is one of them.
"They bring in the box, your patrons will donate, and they will come and collect it, and it's nothing for a small business to do. I would encourage anybody else out there to get a box for sure and help out with this fantastic organization to help these kids in need, especially this time of year that's coming up," said Dew Long, the owner of Pour Coffee house.
The Longmores hope to be a light to other families who are dealing with grief.
"We didn't go through this circumstance, and God didn't bring this into our path for a reason to just sit back," Krissy said. "We would love to be an encouragement or support to those who need it."
The toy drive runs from now until November 28, Emily's birthday.
You can drop off any unwrapped gift at:
- Fino's Pharmacy, 32 North Main Street, Pittston, PA 18640
- The Luzerne Foundation, 34 South River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
- Pour Coffee House, 53 North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
To become a collection site, you can contact Emily's Gracious Gifts on Facebook.
You can purchase a gift online through the following websites.
To make a monetary donation, click here.