A Community Production
One night I was scrolling viciously on Instagram like I usually do before bed. I am trying my best to change that routine. The homie, Angel, posted a message about wanting to have a Trunk or Treat. I immediately reached out to him and said, “I'm down. Let’s do it.” I felt rejuvenated with ideas and next steps. When I woke up, I messaged him again, “Aye, do you want to do this with Omaha Children’s Museum?” Last year during the holidays Angel, OCM, and I had a haircut event. Angel and his barbershop, Ace of Fades took a day off and cut kid’s hair for free. We were able to provide haircuts for 40 kids, girls, and boys. It was a beautiful sight. To me, working with Angel and the OCM team was a no-brainer. Angel agreed and the wheels really started working.
As soon as I got the green light from Angel, I reached out to Jackie Lane, the VP of DEI and Continuous Quality Improvement at The Children's Museum. She has supported me with any idea I might have had including OCM. She was an integral part of facilitating our Haircut event and now with the Trunk or Treat event. Jackie assisted by connecting me with OCM employees who will be able to organize our Trunk or Treat event. She also connected me with local Non-Profits that would be perfect for our event. Jackie and I met multiple times to walk through the necessary needs to make this event a success. She was able to confirm a few big-name Omaha organizations like, The Rose, Educare Omaha, and a wonderful photographer Dell Nared. Jackie’s help was instrumental, without her support and care for the community, I would not have been able to make this event a success that it was.
As a Board Member of Omaha Children’s Museum, I take pride in the role that I have. Currently, I am a member of the Governance Committee and Lead the Nominating Committee. I am learning a lot and ready to be more of a resource to the museum and help with anything they need. It has been an extreme pleasure to be a part of the museum and see it grow into what it is today. Having the support from Fawn Taylor, the Museum CEO, has been an extreme blessing. Fawn has provided me with ample support and confidence. We have had multiple conversations about how I belong in the room, how what I am doing today will guarantee a seat at a table where not many of us are at, and how I need to continue to be myself. That’s a beautiful thing to hear from a CEO who has knowledge of how hard your life has been even though we have lived different lives. We understand each other’s struggles.
Selfishly, Omaha Children’s Museum has provided me with a building block for my resume. I love the Museum and I love the fact that I am part of its inner workings. It’s a true pleasure. In the next phase of my life, I want to do something that lifts up the community I am a part of. Over the years I have joked with my barber that I want to run for Mayor of Omaha or even hold office for the city. It’s one of those jokes that you’re kind of serious about. Who’s to say what will happen in 10 years? Anything is possible. Over the years I have worked to build a name for myself, a name that my kids can be proud of. Aguirre to me meant nothing. I hope that the name Aguirre makes my kids proud in the future. I want them to say their last name with their head up high and roll their Rs real loud!
Back to this Trunk or Treat, to me, it was a great idea to give back to the kids. I will always jump at those opportunities. The kids are our future. The kids are what makes the world special, they are the reason we want to grow. Kids are special. They are innocent. I love that. Seeing them smile, seeing them be shy, hearing the stories that take hours to tell. Kids, man. They are the best. I want to see them all prosper in life. Giving back to the kids is an opportunity that I don’t take lightly. They can take all of my energy. Setting up this trunk or treat was something that brought me joy, I reached out to my basketball homies, my family, and Instagram followers to see if anyone wanted to participate. The homie Ryan, instantly said yes. I ran into my old barber at Trader Joe’s, he said yes. My current barber, Marcell, at Modern Image, was in. His old partner Dan Goodwin from Groom, was in. A close family friend jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this event. One organization I'm proud to have participated in is Rabble Mill. Rabble Mill is a non-profit in Nebraska that specializes in programming for today’s youth. My daughter was a part of their programming last year with their summer skateboard classes at Millwork Commons. My daughter loved it! This year she wanted to try out Volleyball. Nebraska is a volleyball state anyway. Having Rabble Mill on board brought me happiness because skateboarding has personally brought me joy and I know how diverse the skateboard community is. Also, my company Slim Jimmy Productions was there. I don’t know what Slim Jimmy Productions is, but seeing the logo on a flyer brought a tear to my eye. To say that this is a Slim Jimmy Production is funny to me, but it’s true. I was a part of creating this event.
I want to give a special shout-out to my mom. She was able to acquire 3 thousand pieces of candy for me on sale. That sale was clutch! Thank you so much for supporting me with my crazy ideas. Half of the time you don’t know what I do for “work” but continue to share how proud you are of me for caring for others.
This event was always going to be a success whether we had 10 kids or 1,000 kids involved. Being able to set something massive like this with many moving pieces was a lot of hard work and time. Aside from having a full-time job in advertising during the busiest quarter for retail! It was all going to be worth it! The week of the event came and people began asking for more information about the weather. I had just come back from a short vacation in Los Angeles, I didn’t know anything about the weather! The apps showed that it was going to snow and it was going to be 30 degrees! What? Excuse me? Jackie and I got on a call and made the decision to move the event inside. I don’t know what logistics issue this caused. But I want to thank everyone who helped at the museum. Without your hard work and extensive hours, this event wouldn’t have been possible.
On the day of the event, the area was blocked off, the tables were set, and the kids were waiting! The line was literally across the whole museum! I was so happy! Jackie and I were ready to get the party started! All the homies who participated were dressed up and had their tables decorated. We had a Mario adventure, a lumberjack and axe throwing area, Devo and his skateboards, some Egyptian Pharaohs, Wonder Girl, Left Shark, and an off-brand Ken Doll (me). I was so hyped for everyone’s participation! The kids looked amazing as well, they were all happy, and they were all so patient as well. I didn’t see any kids throwing fits or crying. I also want to thank the parents who waited in line. The moms and dads who brought their kids to our event. The kids who skipped nap time to be there. My friends who I hadn’t seen in ages also came and supported me. My kids came all dressed up and ready to get candy. My sister brought her kid. Jackie’s mom showed up! Fawn’s nephews were hanging out with us. It was a true family affair. At the end of the day, we were able to reach 2,300 children and families who had the chance to experience our businesses and non-profits.
That is special. That is beautiful. The return on investment on something like that is not something you can quantify with data. It’s not something that you can look at an expense sheet and see the difference you make. The return on investment in those kinds of events is felt. You feel the emotions that the kids provide. The energy they bring you. The joy they share. Those are data points that matter. I am happy to be part of the Omaha Children’s Museum board because they truly care about the kids and their well-being. They focus on the community that keeps them in business.
Thank you again, Jackie Lane, Angel Flores, and Fawn Taylor. Thank you to everyone involved in this event. I appreciate your support. We will continue our partnership.
