About Breanna’s Star

Breanna’s Star, A Time for Art, Celebration and Giving, was born in April of 2009. The idea was to hold a casual gathering to help support Breanna’s Gift programs and include creative elements that illuminate the joy children experience in making art.

Each year has been an adventure, and Breanna’s Star has evolved from a backyard gathering to an evening fundraising event with live music, live and silent auctions, hands-on art projects and more. In 2020 and 2021, our event went virtual as event centers closed and we all sheltered in place during the pandemic. In 2022, we were thrilled to connect with everyone in person at Brookview Golden Valley.

Breanna’s Star | April 18-22, 2023

In 2023 we took a new turn, hosting a cloud event that guests enjoyed from the comfort of their homes. And because it happened to be National Jelly Bean Day, there was a Jelly Bean Counting Contest and trivia questions where winners collected prizes.

Breanna’s Gift Story & Mission

My name is Marsha Ovitz and Breanna was my granddaughter. She was bright, determined and full of fun. She loved to chitty chat about stuff, she loved to learn, she loved to play dress up, and she loved to suck her thumb. She loved to boss her brothers around, she loved shoes, she loved pink and she loved to dance. When Breanna was 3, she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and she spent the last year of her life in the hospital. Breanna would go to the playroom to draw and listen to music. Each time, one item in particular was her most treasured find. It was a pair of tap shoes that she would put on and dance around the room. When it was time to leave the playroom, the shoes could not go with her and that was a time of much sadness and many tears. The idea for Breanna’s Gift came from this experience; we don’t want children to have to leave the shoes behind.

Breanna’s Gift is an arts program offering dance, visual art, music and performing arts experiences and workshops for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. All children in our dance classes receive their own pair of tap shoes and costumes for class and to take with them. Our programs are free to all participants and to the facilities that we serve.

Breanna gave us her love and her joy and we are hoping to do the same by putting smiles on sad faces. If you like the idea of helping very sick children escape through the magic of the arts, perhaps you will consider some of the many ways you can support our program.

Breanna’s Gift was established as a non-profit organization in 2008. The Breanna’s Gift program is consistent with the requirements established by medical professionals overseeing each child’s care. Our Mission is bringing smiles to the faces of children with cancer and other serious illnesses through the magic of the arts.