Local Mom Teaching Her Children About The Gift Of Giving

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (CBS) - A Main Line mom of two young children who celebrate their birthdays around the holidays is hoping to spark a trend by ditching the usual kid's party this year in exchange for a holiday party this afternoon in Drexel Hill that benefits a local charity for children.

Leslie Padilla says the birthday parties for her five-year old-son and three-year-old daughter cost hundreds of dollars and come with lots of presents the kids usually never play with. So this year she decided to combine their birthdays into a holiday party, which is open to the public.

She hopes guests will make a donation to the Little Smiles Foundation, "one of the most important things that I've learned in my life is giving back to other people and during a recession it's even more important, so I think the true gift that I can give my children is to learn the sense of charity and so I'm instilling that value in them."

Drexelbrook is donating the space and other companies are donating goods and services to create a winter wonderland for the children and their parents. More than 100 people are expected. Little Smiles helps children in hospitals, shelters, and hospices and their families.

Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio