"I wanted to write something for them; admiration for the hard working man." 

Written by Hannah Ness

 

Hanging on the walls of Jon Gordon’s office are crayon and colored pencil character drawings. It’s ironic the way the realistic, yet eyeless, The Office character Dwight Schrute demands your eyes’ attention.

Grace, Gordon’s daughter, drew them. Her artistic style originated from making hotel door decorations on a family Disney World trip.

“She was having a hard time drawing eyes on Tinker Bell, so she just left them out,” Gordon said.

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Grace continued the artistic style. A character in the same style fills the Facebook page banner for Grace’s Gifts, a charity in Grace’s memory.

Gordon started the charity after Grace’s passing. His charity work goes back as far as 15 years.

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After spending one Christmas by himself, Gordon decided it would never happen again. He reached out to local kitchens serving meals to the homeless and began helping organize meals.

Gordon has managed Echo of Janesville Christmas and Salvation Army Thanksgiving kitchens since 2008.

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Gordon also has a DJ business with his co-worker. Since 2010, Saber DJ Services provides music for weddings, dinners and large events.

In 2015, Gordon decided to combine his passions for music and philanthropic work with Inclusive Charity DJ Network. The nonprofit and registered 501c3 works year-round to donate DJ services for local causes.

Events they serve include daddy daughter and mommy son dances, cancer benefits and costume balls. The charity aims to use music to help their local community and allow DJ costs to be put towards the organization.

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In 2016, Gordon wanted to host an adult prom to celebrate his 40th birthday. What started as an event for 50 of his friends grew rapidly on Facebook and by word of mouth. 700 tickets sold out in only two weeks.

“One night I walked into my favorite bar and said ‘Watch this,’“ Gordon said.

Gordon knew there were people desperate for tickets and felt bad, so he tried to free some up. He put two tickets on the bar and took a picture. He posted on Facebook where the tickets were. The first to claim them took ownership.

“The phone rang 10 seconds later and they were gone in five minutes,” Gordon said.

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The first prom was a success. Proceeds went to a local charity. Gordon organized proms for two following years, one including a rotating stage.

Continuing his philanthropic endeavors, Gordon, an experienced canoer, and another leader took their scout troop on a one-day canoe trip in May 2019. Among the troop were his 15-year-old twins, both Scouts, Grace and Mason. Despite the group following every safety measure, Grace was pinned underwater beneath one of many fallen trees while maneuvering a turn in

the river. There was nothing Gordon, Mason or the five other scouts could do. Rescue crews arrived but were unsuccessful in saving Grace.

Grace’s passing sparked a change in the Inclusive Charity DJ Network. Gordon reflected on what mattered most to Grace.

 

As Grace and Mason grew up, Gordon did everything he could to give them experiences they would remember forever. The single dad took them camping, on trips to Disney World, Texas, Europe, cultural events, plays, concerts and enrolled them in dance classes and scouts.

Five weeks after Grace passed, Gordon, Mason and her stepmom attended The Killers in concert. The Killers were Grace’s favorite band and Grace was meant to join them. “On the way home, we started talking about the other kids,” Gordon said, referring to the kids who witnessed the accident in the river. A new initiative was born in the Inclusive Charity DJ Network. Grace’s Gifts gives children and families affected by trauma, like the five scouts in the river with Grace, the opportunity to have the same experiences that made her life colorful.

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“We now give kids who endured trauma of some kind these experiences,” Gordon said. Grace’s Gifts memorialize Grace in many ways. Concert tickets were given to a family who lost a daughter. Christmases were gifted to families of children who have endured trauma.

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Multiple children were enrolled in dance studios, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts with uniforms and supplies. Tickets to Great America and Mt. Olympus water park were given to families in need.

The charity aims to be sustainable so children can remain enrolled in the programs they were first entered into by Grace’s Gifts. They raise money through meat raffles, collecting donations while hosting karaoke, fundraising nights at Culver’s and local pizza joints.

 

While there’s usually a financial need in the families, it’s not always the case. One child with a dad fighting cancer was given tickets to a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game, parking pass included. Even though they could afford it, the family’s attention wasn’t on fun excursions.

“They’re probably not thinking about that kind of stuff at the time and could use a break,” Gordon said. “A teacher asked one kid, ‘What would you like to do more than anything in the world?’ and he said, ‘I want to see a Ferris wheel,’” Gordon said.

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Grace’s Gifts sent him four season passes to Great America, including parking, one quick service meal per visit and a photo package.

Gordon estimates close to $15,000 has been gifted to southeastern Wisconsin children and families in the form of memorable experiences. Some families remain anonymous. Grace’s Gifts

also works directly with the Inclusive DJ Charity Network to provide DJ services in-kind donations.

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Grace’s Gifts’ next major event is Snazzfest, an indoor and outdoor music festival. To honor Grace, the event is named after her favorite word: snazzy. The festival includes two stages featuring 11 bands, a softball tournament, food trucks and large ticket item raffles. Gordon’s asked the bands performing to learn The Killers’ songs. All proceeds go to Grace’s Gifts. Snazzfest is June 10, 2023.

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To prepare to advertise for the event, Gordon gathered videos of Grace saying snazzy from her friends. One video shows Grace excitedly talking about new tennis shoes. “They’re super sister snazzy,” she says while smiling and her friends giggle behind the camera.

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Grace’s fun-loving energy can be felt not only through the video but through the experiences many kids have in her memory.