Join us in honoring the legacy of Madelyn James Didio with singing, dancing and so much more.
Friends,
What an unforgettable night! We have so many double waves from last Friday. Thank you so much for joining us at the DC Bow Bash. I’m still in awe that while most of Alexandria lost power, we kept the lights on—maybe we had some little angels watching over us. :)
Because of your presence, energy, and generosity, we raised an incredible $57,003—that’s $6,500 more than last year! A special double wave to our year-round partners at PHLY. Our Purple Bow Sponsors of the evening, Katherine Callaway & Jeff Smeraglinolo (J²aCK Foundation). And, our Green Bow Sponsors, Hingham Institution for Savings and MyStudio. Your support directly impacts the families we work with at Madelyn James, and we are so grateful for your commitment to our mission.
This year, the evening held even deeper meaning: The City of Alexandria officially recognized May 16 as “Nico Ramirez and Madelyn James Day,” honoring two beautiful lives lost too soon.
We were honored to welcome Mayor Alyia Gaskins, who delivered a heartfelt proclamation and reminded us all:
“Tonight is about honoring and it is also about celebrating. It is about honoring Maddy and Nico and their lives and their stories—making sure that we continue to tell about the impact that those children have had, not only on their families but on each of us and everyone who got to hold and meet them.”
She also shared that in the past year, our foundation has grown from supporting three families to six, reflecting the impact you’ve helped us make.
“It’s about celebrating all the ways that they continue to wrap around everyone that they come in contact with—making sure that no family has to go through this journey alone, making sure that all have an equal opportunity to be able to protect, prevent, survive, and treat the cancer they are diagnosed with.”
It was a night filled with parents, children, advocates, and friends—gathered in joy, remembrance and hope. We remembered sweet Nico with his parents Claudia and Pablo. We honored our families. We shared the names of those we've lost. We laughed. We cried. We danced. And most importantly, we stood united in our commitment to equity in pediatric cancer care.
📸 We had some incredible photographers—Olivia Gravatt and Lyza Pyvovarova—capturing the evening. You can view and upload photos here.
🎥 And stay tuned—video reels are coming soon thanks to the amazing AR Partners! And danced the night away with Michael Smart our amazing DJ!
📰 We were even featured in The Zebra—check it out here.
We are so grateful for our amazing team from Cat Rad Creative, our in-kind partners, amazing silent auction donors and the ALX team (thanks to Kelly Grant!) for donating the amazing space for us. And, a double wave for our amazing friends and "Madelyn James Alexandria HQ leaders" Samantha and Brian Burkhalter. Thank you again for showing up—for our families, for Maddy and Nico, and for the future we’re building together. Your belief in our work continues to fuel everything we do.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jackie & Dan and the 2025 DC Host Committee
Samantha Burkhalter, Veeva
Heather Burnson, LLS
Lauren Billings
Lauren Brassfield, Madelyn James Volunteer
Katherine Callaway, Jack Squared Foundation
Amy Corcoran, Alpha Omega
Selam Eyassu, Hingham Institution for Savings
Mayor Aliya Gaskins
Kelly Grant, ALX Community
Laurie Horstmann
Heather Jelks, Nautilus Consulting
Bonnie Killeavy, Booz Allen
Nancy Lobo, The Magic Art Bus
Linnette Le, Madelyn James Board Member, MyStudio
Megan Martin
Natalie Perilla, Gartner
Lara Pukatch, Miriam’s Kitchen
Erin Schmidt, Lilypad Strategies
Carolyn Seltzer, Inova
Christine Temple, Madelyn James Board Member, exaqueo
Lauren Tindall, Capital One
Monica Vallarino, Children's National
