SAN ANTONIO — For the past 11 years, one San Antonio woman throws a birthday party unlike most. Dr. Ana Potthast helps put on a fundraiser to raise money for non-profits in the San Antonio community to celebrate her special day.
The event features live music and entertainment. There is also a massage therapist one site. The profits from each massage and drink specials are donated to the non-profit organizations.
This year, Potthast hosted her birthday party fundraiser at Deco Pizza on Fredericksburg Road. She said the event is family friendly and accessible.
Potthast said each year, the fundraiser continues to grow. The night before her birthday 11 years ago, Potthast was with her friend Jonathan Vela (also known as Aquaman San Antonio) telling him she didn’t have any plans for her birthday.
He suggested donating to charity.
"He unfortunately passed away a few years ago. And after that, you know, we just kind of continued this as well. But he was we really do that in his spirit because he was just the most beautiful person I knew," Potthast said.
One of those non-profits is called Student Parents Empowered.
"We help students in college who are raising children succeed in post-secondary education," Bianca Ramirez, Founder and CEO of Student Parents Empowered said.
Although they’re a new organization, their story goes back to 2015.
"We started the UTSA downtown campus child care initiative," Ramirez said.
It started with a petition to get child care on campus. Ramirez said the petition went viral, and they were able to start their own childcare center across the street called Students Raising Children.
"It's a huge need, and many of them end up dropping out of college just because there's so much struggle," Ramirez said.
They offer counseling, case management, advocacy and scholarships. Their goal is to not only help student parents, but their kids as well.
"Helping the parents succeed in college is a great mentorship kind of for their children and helping them see that it's possible for them and motivating them to get their degrees as well," Jennifer Scruggs, President of the Board of Directors of Student Parents Empowered, said.
About one in five students in college are parents. The organizers say they know what it’s like, as each one of the women were student parents themselves.
"Many times I've been told by professors to drop out that this was not going to be possible for me," Daniela Salinas, COO of Student Parents Empowered, said.
Now they plan to provide support to other parents, so they can achieve their dreams, too.
"I'm really proud that this is what we're doing, but I know that it's going to be a lot of work and I and I'm hoping that the community realizes we need the support," Salinas said.
The non-profit plans to hold a launch party on May 28, featuring the first lady of San Antonio, Erika Prosper-Nirenberg.
For more information visit the Student Parents Empowered website.
Sarah’s Heart is the other organization featured at the fundraising event.
The non-profit helps families in San Antonio cope with the loss of babies due to miscarriage, still birth or early infant death.
The founder, Mary Tisdale, said the inspiration came from the loss of her baby niece Sarah Anne Clifford in 1989.
The non-profit is comprised of volunteers. They offer support to families by offering counseling, support groups and remembrance services.
They also provide comfort boxes.
The non-profit started in one San Antonio hospital, but has now been expanded to seven.
"The biggest thing is that we acknowledge that they have a right to grieve, that they need to grieve, and it's ok to grieve because so much, so many times they're told, you know, just move on, but you just can't move on from this until you grieve," Tisdale said.
For more information about Sarah's Heart, visit their website.
Potthast also hosts a GoFundMe for the two non-profits. It's available here.
The event is being held at Deco Pizzeria at 1815 Fredericksburg Rd. from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Saturday.