Briarwood Mall has teamed up with Olga's Kitchen, Build-A-Bear and Santa to help raise funds for The Family Hope Fund at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The event is this Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Olga's Kitchen near JCPenney.

Children will have an opportunity to meet with Santa, share stories and enjoy a specially prepared breakfast serving pancakes, sausage, juice or milk, and smiles. There will also be a special guest appearance with Bearomy the Bear from the Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The cost is a $6 donation—tickets are available at Guest Services now or at the door. Space is limited, so we recommend purchasing before the event. There will also be a special photo package for children that attend the event. Each child will be allowed to purchase a $5 photo package immediately following the event, which includes one 5x7 photo with Santa.

The Family Hope Fund at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital was established by Detroit Tiger Brandon Inge and his wife Shani to help families in which a child’s illness has created extraordinary financial hardships or other types of challenges.

The Inges started the fund when they learned of the challenges faced by some of Mott’s families. For such families, money from the Family Hope Fund to buy food or to pay a house payment or utilities bill can make the difference between despair and the strength to cope at a time of great anxiety. The skilled social workers at C.S. Mott are able to assess the extent that a child’s illness has compromised the family’s well being and nominate those who will most benefit from assistance from the Family Hope Fund.

The Fund has been an enormous help in maintaining a healthy sense of stability and comfort for many Mott parents and siblings at a time of great stress for the entire family.