Cinderella Event helps Foster Children

Elise Sakievich
reporter3@uvsj.com
REXBURG - If you looked through the windows of FatCats Saturday morning, you
would see several Cinderellas, a few Belles, Ariel, Ana, Elsa, Esmeralda, Maleficent, the
Evil Queen and Mary Poppins?
Leigh Short dressed as Mary Poppins for the Mothers and Daughters Making a
Difference event she organized, even though most guests were princesses.
As a childbirth educator and birth doula at Babymine Birth Services, shes organized
several mother-daughter events. But this years event turned out different.
She originally thought the theme for this event would be Cinderella, but remembered
Cinderellas unfortunate home situation and decided to use the event to make a
difference.
Its just like Mary Poppins says, Short quoted, With every job thats to be done, there
is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The jobs a game!
So a myriad of princesses and queens, mothers and daughters, gathered at FatCats an
hour before the showing of the new Cinderella movie, bringing donations for foster care
children.
They also brought extra princess costumes. Several foster children and their mothers
attended the event, able to do so as princesses because of the donations.
Denise Clark, vice president of the benefiting organization Idaho Foster and Adoptive
Parents Association, expressed her gratitude and excitement.
We were excited about the fundraiser because there are a lot of children in foster care
who dont have a lot of things, she said. So were excited that people are so willing to
bring them donations. Well take them and hand them out to foster care children and
youth.
Clark dressed as the Evil Queen and prowled the party, offering candy and asking if
anyone had seen Snow White.
Malia Arnell, Miss Rexburg at the time and Shorts niece, invited Clark to the event. She
and her sister, Whitney, dressed as princesses and took pictures with the children.
My platform, what I stand for is foster care, she said. It makes this more personal.

Arnell would give her title away the following week, making this the last event she
attended.
Her sister, Whitney Arnell, said their family is very involved in foster care and adoption.
My adopted sister is here, she said. Its a lot of fun. Its great to get a bunch of people
out for a good cause.
Miss Rexburg also invited Morgan Hill, Miss Bonneville, who said, I love supporting
the community and being part of something so cool for the kids.
The children who came to the event entered drawings for prizes in their age groups. If
they brought donations, they also received a glass slipper that awarded them concessions
for the movie.
Sonja Schaat brought her foster daughter and her foster daughters mom to the event.
Soon, Schaat said, the two would be back together.
I think its wonderful that someone took the time and energy to coordinate this, she
said. Its so fun for girls to dress up. I think things like these take a lot of work and these
people should be applauded for their efforts and energy.
After about an hour of princess talk and picture-taking, everyone filed into the theatre
where prizes would be awarded.
Short began by stating that because shes Mary Poppins and practically perfect in every
way, she never has to explain herself. So no one can argue when she says shes a
princess too.
Short thanked all the organizations that made the event possible: FatCats, Madison
Memorial Hospital, Better Idaho Births, Florences Chocolates, Improving Birth Idaho
Falls, Gator Jacks in Rexburg, American Inn in Rexburg, Orange Leaf in Idaho Falls,
Idaho Adoptive and Foster Parent Association, and Miss Rexburg, Miss Bonneville and
the other princess volunteers.
The Arnells, Hill and a few other volunteer princesses lined up along the theatre wall with
prizes in their hands and under their arms.
Short called women and girls from every age group, ranging from two to 40 plus, to
receive their gifts.
Afterward, Clark stepped up and thanked everyone for their donations. She told all the
parents present to talk to her after the movie if they were interested in being foster
parents.
The lights soon went dim, and Cinderella began.