Celebrating the Holidays at Children's Hospital with Jessica Biel

Jon, Justin, Kim & Jessica Biel of Make The Difference Network

LAist: What are some of the activities for the kids?

Jessica Biel: Cookie making station. Menorah lighting.
Kim Biel: They are going to decorate Tom's Shoes.
Jessica Biel: We've got stockings and Santa.
Jon Biel: Hasbro has been great in bringing all sorts of toys for the kids. A great gifting station for the kids. For music we have Alex Band from The Calling. Cake and Art Cake has brought cupcake decorating.
Kim Biel: Francy Flowers is giving each child their own little bouquet.

Jessica Biel decorates cupcakes with a patient at CHLA.

LAist: When did you start the Make The Difference Network (MYDF)?

Jon Biel: We started it around for four years ago, but this is the year that we have been up in running in our Beta format.
Justin Biel: It is an online network similar to a social network, except what we focus on is providing tools and technology to non-profit organizations. We realized there wasn't a place online that provided effective and useful tools and technology to non-profits to help them get awareness out about their cause. To help them fundraise. To help them connect and collaborate with different people, whether that's individuals who want to donate, or teaming up with other non-profits to support one another's events. You can also make connections with businesses to help support each other and share expertise and to bring their cause to a new level. Also, organizations can take very specific donations for very specific programs, projects, and initiatives that these non-profits are working towards.

LAist: Can you tell us about one of the organizations that is being benefited by their relationship with MTDN right now?

Justin Biel: Children's Hospital is one of our big ones. It's one of our huge ones. We have a certain number of wishes from the hospital that we are trying to accomplish through the fundraising at our party. We have raised enough money so far though corporate sponsorships to provide the majority of those wishes that we set out to grant. In addition to that we will be raising funds through auction items and donations at the event that we are having on Wednesday night, for the hospital to put towards their new building. We also wanted to have this holiday party for the kids here today because that is what it is all about. I really looking forward to spending the day here with the kids. This is the real reason we are here. Personally I am just as excited for today with the kids as I am for the big party on the 10th.

Jon Biel: We will capture today's holiday party on video and show it on a constant loop at the party on Wednesday night at Social Hollywood to remind everybody, while they are having a good time, that we are raising money for Children's Hospital.

Jessica Biel: And some of the wishes that we are focusing on for our party include the art therapy program where kids get to participate in arts and crafts and relieve stress and clear their mind and have a good time while they are in the hospital. Also the teen impact group, where teens with cancer and blood diseases have a peer to peer support group. It's hard enough to be a teenager, let alone a teenager with cancer. You are trying to get your freedoms now you are relying on all of these people. So once a year they go away to this amazing retreat, usually camping in Northern California. There are psychologists with the program and they get that support.

John Biel: Any not for profit organization can participate in the Make The Difference Network. We make it easy for them to have very specific wishes and fill those wishes and show the results. Let me tell you how I used the site yesterday. We have a friend who has a new baby. As a welcoming for this new baby coming into the world, I went on MTDN to an organization called Infante Sano that goes into the Caribbean area and Central America and provides supports for women to have clean sterile appropriate facilities to give birth. So in honor of the new baby who came into this world, I made a donation for one woman to be sponsored to have a clean and healthy birth. I dedicated my donation to the new baby and I sent the link to out friends and said, "Congratulations. Please click here to see how the Biels are honoring the arrival of your new baby." Now more people will find out about this organization. That's the power of the Internet. We are trying to open up that power for these non-profits.

LAist: Today the goal is to help the patients have a happy holiday. What is you earliest happy memory of Christmas?

Kim Biel: I had a great aunt who always made pajamas for all of us. And so every Christmas there was this big fat flannel pajama package. Every year. We always knew what it was and everybody matched. The whole family would sit there in leopard print or whatever pattern she made that year. For me that was happy. Jess aren't you giving pajamas now? Didn't you give pajamas last year?

Jessica Biel: Yes, I found these giants onesies with the feet and everything because that was what we used to have when we were kids. So I bought some for presents last year from Jumpin Jammerz. They are amazing. They are hilarious. We were just talking about the great memories in our house in Boulder when we were kids. We had a second floor and there was a big railing. There was a hallway and you could look over into the living room. I remember us coming out of our rooms and peering over the railing and seeing the tree and the Christmas presents. I remember it looked like angels were singing in my head. It was all glittering and looked like it was sparkling.

Justin Biel: I was going to say the same thing. It was always the night before. Jess was asking me if I ever peeked. Did you ever go down and look at your presents ahead of time? I didn't go downstairs, but I would open my door, look out, see what was down there. Just to make sure the presents were actually there. Then I would creep back into my room and go back to sleep. We always had those presents on Christmas, so for us we are kind of to a point now where its not necessarily about giving each other gifts as much as it is trying to do these things for other people who need it. For us just being together on the holidays is where we are at as a family.

It was time for the Biels to go upstairs and meet the kids. The lobby and garden of the hospital were decorated and full of volunteers. Jessica, Kim, Jon and Justin welcomed all of the families. The event was kicked off with an acoustic performance by Alex Band. He played two of his songs and then serenaded Jessica with a cover of "What Goes Around...Comes Around". The patients took photos with Santa, got face painting, and more. Twitch from "So You Think You Can Dance" showed the kids some moves. We met an eleven-year-old girl who was checking out that day and heading home to Bakersfield to celebrate the holidays. We wished her a very Merry Christmas.

With their fundraiser on Wednesday night at Social Hollywood, the Biel family will raise money for the hospital. Their efforts will help the children of LA for many years to come.

Happy holidays!

"So You Think You Can Dance" finalist Twitch shows off his moves to the children of CHLA

Photos courtesy of Chris Polk/ Filmmagic.com