Don't Kiss the Babies Foundation

Nearby non profit organizations

UNI Spectrum Project
Lincoln Elementary School

Don't Kiss the Babies will advocate for the health of infants and young children.

08/20/2024

Drumroll please…

😭😍💗

We are just overwhelmed with gratitude. EllieFest 2024 was more than a success, and it’s all because of our sponsors, donors, supporters, family, friends, and even strangers from afar.

We are able to help more families, more babies, more parents because of YOU.

Our mission and our girl’s message lives on. All thanks to YOU. 🦋

Photos from Don't Kiss the Babies Foundation's post

08/18/2024

EllieFest 2024

My heart is bursting. My feet are killing me. So tired. So grateful. So blessed. All because of one beautiful little girl who started it all. 💗🦋

Prairie Links Golf & Event Center you always make everything go off without a hitch- we are so incredibly thankful for you being such amazing hosts year after year!

Thank you will never be enough to EVERYONE who showed up for us today and continues to show up. We are able to do this because of YOU!

Please feel free to add any photos from the day in the comments below!

08/17/2024

Come see us, Josh & Rach at EllieFest 2024 🙂 they’re here till noon serving up amazing coffee!

Timber Grove Coffee Co. ❤️

08/17/2024

Golfers - please check and read your email! Registration begins at 7:30, shotgun start at 9:00.

Thank you! See you all in the morning! 🦋

08/12/2024

The silent auction is officially open!

Register as a bidder and start bidding! 😍

Golf tournament & fundraiser Golf tournament & fundraiser

08/10/2024

Hi, everyone!

We are officially ONE WEEK away from EllieFest 2024! We can’t wait to share this amazing day with you all.

However, you don’t have to wait to start bidding on silent auction items!

That’s right!

The auction will open online at 7:00 AM Monday morning (8/12)! All you need to do to start bidding is register yourself as a bidder. Instructions on how to do this can be found here! Simply scan the QR code or visit the link below to get started.

You don’t want to miss out on all the amazing things up for grabs this year. Huge thanks to all of our donors for helping us create a great collection of auction items! 💜

https://givebutter.com/c/EllieFest2024/auction

08/07/2024

Last chance to register for EllieFest 2024! While golf teams are full, we encourage you to come join us as a nongolfer for all the other fun going on around the clubhouse!

Registration closes on Monday, so be sure to sign up soon! 💕

We hear this a lot when chatting with folks about EllieFest 2024.

“I’m not a golfer, otherwise I would come!”

Guess what?

You don’t have to be! 🙂

While EllieFest is first and foremost a golf tournament, we have a TON of stuff going on inside the clubhouse during golf that anyone can participate in!

It’s always been important to us as a foundation to have a space that is family-friendly and includes things for everyone to engage in.

Don’t golf but want to come and show your support? We’d love to have you! Just register for FREE below so we can be sure to include you and your crew in the count for lunch - and you don’t want to miss it because it’s AMAZING! 😍

Register here today! 👇🏼
www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/31/2024

You all are absolutely, mind-blowingly INCREDIBLE. 🥲

Registration for golf teams is officially FULL! 💜

Thank you to everyone who has shared information, encouraged friends to sign up and just rallied for this event - your support has made all the difference.

Registration for nongolfers is still open until Monday, August 12! Please join us for all of our other fun that day - we’d love to have you! 🦋

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/24/2024

We’re so excited to add two more wonderful presenting sponsors for this year’s event! It’s because of your generosity that we can make this possible.

In addition to our friends at Kuchel Roofing, we’d like to thank UnitedHealthcare and our family with the Michael H. Hogan living trust. 💗

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/24/2024

07/23/2024

Don’t forget to sign up for golf at this year’s EllieFest 2024 event! We’ve still got spots open for teams of 4 to play in our shotgun style golf tournament - pin prizes, golf BINGO, delicious lunch and more!

Registration closes 8/9. Don’t wait! ⛳️

Hi, everyone!

We are still looking for teams of 4 to join us for EllieFest 2024 on Saturday, August 17. ⛳️

Please consider grabbing a team of your friends or coworkers and getting signed up. This is such a fun event that you don’t want to miss!

We also have some great things planned for those who don’t golf but want to come out and enjoy the day!

Visit www.dktb.org to get registered today! 🦋

07/18/2024

REMINDER! Get your t-shirts ordered before the store closes on Sunday!

It’s t-shirt time!! 😁👕

Huge thanks to our friend Lisa Cory for designing this year’s EllieFest shirts! We knew we wanted them to be extra special for Ellie’s 5th birthday and Lisa knocked it out of the park.

Also, a huge thanks our friends at Iowa Sports Supply for putting these together for us. We are always so grateful for your hard work!

The deadline to order is July 21st. Sizes are unisex XS-3X. Youth sizes are not available in this shirt but we will have plenty of our DKTB youth shirts for sale at EllieFest!

Once finalized, all sponsors WILL be listed on the back of the shirts- so don’t panic that it shows up as blank right now. 🙂

Don’t miss out on ordering! Available now! 🦋👇🏼

https://dktb-24.itemorder.com/shop/home/

07/16/2024

Come join this awesome crew along with many other FUN people at EllieFest 2024!

Get your team of 4 registered today! I🦋

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/13/2024

Here’s a little riddle on this beautiful Saturday:

What do an American Girl doll, the UNI men’s basketball team, a charcuterie board, Busch Light, jewelry, a quilt and some concert tickets all have in common? 🤔

They’re all items in our EllieFest 2024 silent auction (among many other things)!

You can start perusing through some of the SWEET stuff up for grabs! Bidding is not currently open but you can scroll through and see what we have listed. There are more items to come, too so be sure to check back to see if there’s anything you have your eye on! 👀

Be sure you register as a bidder on our website before you can start bidding on any items. Here’s a quick rundown of how to get started! 👇🏼

Auction opens online Monday, August 12 at 7:00 AM and runs through Saturday, August 17 at 2:00 PM.

Just head over to www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024/auction to get started.

Don’t miss out! 😍

07/13/2024

We are so thrilled to have Timber Grove Coffee Co. join us for EllieFest 2024!

Josh & Rachel are coming all the way from the Iowa City area to support our cause for the day - how amazing is that?! 🩷

They will be serving up some delicious coffee and other morning beverages to fuel you up, whether you’re heading out to golf or hanging out in the clubhouse.

Don’t miss out on some AMAZING coffee and what is sure to be a day of fun and celebration for our Ellie girl.

Register here: www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/11/2024

We are SO excited to share that this beautiful soul will be providing live music for EllieFest 2024 this year!

Addy is an incredibly talented young lady and has a heart of gold. Don’t miss the opportunity to see her live on August 17th at Prairie Links Golf & Event Center for our 5th annual EllieFest celebration!

Check out all her music here: https://linktr.ee/adalynnbudke7

07/10/2024

Hey, non-golfer friends!

Don’t forget to officially register you and your crew as non-golfers for EllieFest 2024 if you don’t plan to golf. Tickets are no cost!

Our friends at Prairie Links Golf & Event Center have the BEST food and we don’t want you to miss out on the goodies they’re serving up for us that day! 😍

You can get registered here 👇🏼

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

07/09/2024

Thanks to everyone that has purchased items off the Amazon wish list for our silent auction baskets! We could use a few more items to help complete both baskets!

❗️Silent Auction Wish List❗️
Want to support EllieFest but can't attend the event in person? We are looking to put together 2 silent auction baskets with items that can easily be purchased on Amazon and shipped directly to us.

Basket 1 - Family game night - An assortment of snacks and games for the family.

Basket 2 - Ladies Self Care - featuring some fun items to pamper oneself.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/2E84LHCD61VEO

We appreciate your support!

07/06/2024

07/05/2024

Happy golden birthday to our girl who is the reason for all that we do. We love you forever and a day, sweet Ellie Jean. 🩷🦋

07/04/2024

From all of us at DKTB, we wish you and yours a very happy Independence Day! ❤️🩵🇺🇸

07/04/2024

Look who showed up at Eric and Holly’s house just in time for her favorite holiday!

07/03/2024

❗️Silent Auction Wish List❗️
Want to support EllieFest but can't attend the event in person? We are looking to put together 2 silent auction baskets with items that can easily be purchased on Amazon and shipped directly to us.

Basket 1 - Family game night - An assortment of snacks and games for the family.

Basket 2 - Ladies Self Care - featuring some fun items to pamper oneself.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/2E84LHCD61VEO?ref=gr_search_page_result

We appreciate your support!

EllieFest2024 | Amazon Gift List

06/28/2024

Happy Friday!!

Don’t forget to register for EllieFest 2024 today!

🦋 Golf teams of 4
🦋 Fun activities for nongolfers
🦋 Delicious food
🦋 Silent auction
🦋 Live music
🦋 Kids activities
🦋 DKTB merchandise

You don’t want to miss the fun! Sign up today! 👇🏼

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

06/24/2024

Happy Monday to all our friends and supporters!

Sign your team of 4 up to golf on August 17 at EllieFest 2024! Lunch, golfer swag bags, golfer BINGO, live music, silent auction and much more! 🦋

www.givebutter.com/EllieFest2024

06/21/2024

06/20/2024

❗️Hey friends! ❗️

Join the fun this year on August 17! It’s Ellie’s 5th birthday celebration so you won’t want to miss all the great things we have planned! 🦋

www.GiveButter.com/EllieFest2024

06/16/2024

We are so thankful for our sponsors!

06/16/2024

We need your help!

We are looking for silent auction donations for our event in August!

Please fill out the link below if interested, send us a message, or email us at [email protected].

https://forms.gle/8CV4NVjmWnRHFo7f7

Here are a few examples of things we’ve auctioned off in the past. 🙂

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there; especially to the dads of DKTB. 💗 we are so grateful for all you do for us and for our mission. 🦋

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Our Story

ELLIE

Eric, Holly and Emmett Sitzmann welcomed Eleanor (Ellie) Jean into their family on July 5, 2019. They had just begun their journey as a family of four and were so excited for the future and all the dreams that lay ahead for their children.

Those dreams came to a screeching halt on July 14, 2019 when Eric and Holly noticed that Ellie was not acting normal. She had stopped eating and had become extremely lethargic. Eric and Holly decided to trust their parental instincts and take Ellie to a local walk-in clinic to be examined. Upon their arrival, her oxygen level was critically low and was transferred immediately over to a local emergency room by ambulance. Ellie was intubated and eventually life-flighted to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Over the course of the next three days, Ellie went into cardiac arrest a total of three times. This left her vital organs without oxygen or proper blood flow for far too long. She underwent multiple procedures in an attempt to undo the damage that had been done. Her prognosis was poor, but alongside their families and medical professionals, Eric and Holly held onto hope and prayed for a miracle.

On July 17, 2019, Ellie sadly lost her courageous battle and was called home to heaven.

Doctors determined that Ellie had contracted a viral infection known as enterovirus. Enterovirus appears each year in late spring to early summer and, to many healthy children and adults, does not cause serious symptoms, if any at all. When newborns are exposed to viral infections such as enterovirus in the days and weeks following birth, the outcome can be life-threatening and, for some, fatal.

EMMETT

About four months following Ellie’s passing, in October of 2019, the unthinkable happened. Eric and Holly’s two-year-old son Emmett was rushed by ambulance to a local emergency room where he, too, was intubated and life-flighted to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital to receive pediatric intensive care. The events unfolded just as Ellie’s experience had months prior, and the Sitzmanns were left feeling as if they were living a nightmare. Thankfully, after several days on a ventilator in the PICU, Emmett was extubated and eventually discharged to come home. In addition to a serious case of bacterial pneumonia and a diagnosis of moderate to persistent asthma, doctors determined that Emmett also had contracted a virus known as adenovirus.

After losing their daughter and nearly losing their son both to viral infections, Eric and Holly knew they had to do something. They had to do something to help prevent other parents from ever having to live this nightmare and to spread awareness about the dangers of viral illnesses in newborns and young children.

OUR MISSION

Much like most viral illnesses, both adenovirus and enterovirus are spread through droplets of an infected individual. Part of DKTB’s mission is to advocate for infant and child health by encouraging the general public to take precautions more seriously when sick. Doing things like staying home when sick, washing hands and sanitizing surfaces in public places could help prevent the spread of viral illnesses and keep babies and young children healthy and safe. By sharing our story, it is our hope that others will be inspired to do their part in protecting and ensuring the health of little ones everywhere.

Another part of DKTB’s mission is to educate parents on the dangers of viral illnesses in newborns and young children, especially those with compromised immune systems. DKTB will partner with hospitals and clinics to create and distribute a kit for the parents of every newborn to take with them prior to bringing their baby home. The purpose of these kits is simply to create awareness in both parents and other family members that may be unfamiliar with the dangers of exposure to viruses in their baby’s first few weeks of life. The kits will include educational literature on viral illnesses in newborns and what parents should look for. The kit will also include infant apparel with the DKTB logo and a carseat/stroller tag, with a message encouraging others to admire the baby from a distance.

Lastly, DKTB has made it part of their mission to provide support to others who need it. As a new parent, it can be awkward to tell others not to kiss, let alone touch their baby; no one wants to make anyone feel bad, so oftentimes they may not say anything or may feel guilted into letting their baby be kissed and touched. DKTB will provide support to new parents, empowering them to have the confidence and courage to tell others to keep their distance, especially in those first couple of weeks. DKTB will also provide emotional support to parents and families who have experienced the loss of a child due to a preventable viral illness.

It is our hope and greatest wish that by spreading awareness, we can inspire change and be a powerful voice for little ones. We hope that, by supporting our mission and organization, you’ll join us in honoring the memory of our daughter to keep babies and young children healthy everywhere.

Videos (show all)

Drumroll please…😭😍💗We are just overwhelmed with gratitude. EllieFest 2024 was more than a success, and it’s all because ...

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Website

http://dktb.org/

Address

Cedar Falls, IA
50613

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