We couldn�t say no to Rivky.

Last month Tantzers hosted a waterside event for families and children coping with critical illness. We rented a small boat, and the children lined up to take a short turn each. But the boat could only hold 10-15 people, and the line was long.

Rivky (name changed) waited patiently for her turn. Afterward, she turned to our founder, Zelig Friedman. �My birthday is in a month, and I want to celebrate it on a boat,� she said.

So, the next morning we booked a boat. Rivky has been bravely fighting serious illness for almost three years. Recently she had her second relapse. If a birthday party on a boat would make her happy, we were going to make it happen for her.

But we wanted more families to benefit, too. We found a boat big enough for a crowd and invited twenty other families. We picked the families that most needed a break, that spend days and nights without respite in sterile hospital wards. They would also relax and recharge on the boat.

And on Wednesday night, Rivky�s dream came true. One hundred twenty adults and children celebrated her birthday with a four-hour gala trip on the water. The food was straight out of a wedding shmorg: sushi station, carving station, smoothie station, dessert station, and, of course, a deluxe cake for the birthday girl. Mentalist Michael Kirschner wowed the crowd with his show. And everyone linked arms for a starlit kumsitz on the water.

But the best part was seeing the sparkle in the children�s eyes, especially Rivky. The children in our families carry a heavy burden of illness and worry. There�s no limit to what we�ll do to lighten that burden, even if only for a few magical hours.

In the words of just one of the families, �Thank you, Tanzters, for giving us an uplifting event with a beautiful boat ride. We have no words for how much we appreciate it.�

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