David Witcoff

Impact So Much Greater Than I Ever Anticipated

“Doing this is not hard. You just show up and give love. A few minutes of attention, warmth and care make a deep, and lasting, difference – for all of us.”

Fall is a season loved by many: leaves crunching under boots, air crisp and energizing, a warm color palette transforming the trees. And, it doesn’t get much better than the painted faces and sugar highs of Halloween.

But, roaming the neighborhood in search of candy on a chilly night is just not viable for Bounce Families, once again isolated by chronic illness from one of the spectacles of the season.

Bounce, with beloved partner Jones Day, gives sick children and their families a chance to be ‘normal’ at Bounce Bash® Halloween Hoopla. Costume-clad kids and parents celebrate with arts & crafts, games, snacks – and bop from one themed room to the next, collecting candy and happiness.

David Witcoff, partner at Jones Day, is a long-time volunteer at this annual celebration.  Often he brings his wife, Lulu, and son, Daniel. Together, they meet new families and look for returning families, checking in on specific parents and listening to stories from all, hoping they can momentarily relieve the stresses of chronic illness on a family.

“You see it on parents’ faces and in their eyes,” said David. “You hear it in their voices. I just want to give them a chance to sit down and decompress, knowing their kids are safe and having fun.”

David and his family also see the kids light up, smiling from ear to ear. There is a sense of success, accomplishment and happiness that both Bounce Kiddos and Bounce Siblings showcase at the event.

Bounce’s impression on the entire family surprised David; he quickly gained an appreciation for the breadth and depth of the impact Bounce programming has. Bounce does not neglect the sibling, encompassing the whole family and making David realize how unique Bounce is in its approach.

Volunteers have a chance to interact, and see the impact, on the entirety of the family.

“Doing this is not hard,” David notes. “You just show up and give love. A few minutes of attention, warmth and care make a deep, and lasting, difference – for all of us.”