The Georgetown Jingle returned Sunday for its sixth year, bringing together 750 parents and children to partake in holiday-themed activities while raising money for the Georgetown University Hospital's pediatric oncology programs. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington and sponsored by JDS Designs and the Washington Design Center, the event once again sold out.
New this year was an ice lounge for tweens courtesy of Sandi R. Hoffman Special Events. "This is a family event; it's all about families helping other families who are battling cancer," said Ashely Klick, the event's founder and manager. "Now that we are in our sixth year, some of the children who have been coming from the beginning are too old now for cookie decorating. So Sandi came in and created an all-ice space just for the tweens."
Anchored by a nine-foot penguin ice sculpture, the all-white room was stocked with iPads and over-size crystals on the bar, which served up creative mocktails for the underage set and rose champagne for the of-age set. Design Cuisine headed up catering in the lounge, serving dishes like Himalayan salted valrhona chocolate caramels under gilded eggshells on top of bittersweet chocolate nests.
As in years past, Klick worked with the interior design community to create 12 holiday-theme trees and vignettes, which were all auctioned off before and during the event. CVS returned to sponsor the children's workshop, where kids could get photos taken with Santa, decorate cookies, make ornaments, and write get-well cards to children battling cancer. Entertainment also abounded, with a capella groups from Georgetown University entertaining near the registration area, dancers from the Maryland Youth Ballet performing and handing out gift bags, and magician Anfon Ha surprising the children in attendance with magic tricks throughout the day.
The event raised $430,000, thanks to ticket prices ($350 for families, $150 for adults, $50 per child), the silent auction, cash sponsors, and in-kind donations.
