Our Team

"This idea was just waiting to be created.  People are looking for a way to give back.  
Some people host ‘donation parties’, requesting guests to send a check to a chosen charity or bring it to the party for the host to mail.  Why not offer a simple online solution to giving and celebrating?  Celebration Donation is an easy way to plan a party AND raise money for your favorite charity, inspiring group-giving during any celebration or social event.”

                                                                                                                                     – Julie & Sarah

Julie Hersch and Sarah Hemendinger crossed paths in Plano, TX. They both originally hail from the great Northeast (Erie, PA and Clinton, NY) and quickly became great friends. They share a similar passion for life, and a similar passion for wanting to give back to the community. Over a cup of coffee at Julie’s house, the two embarked on creating Celebration Donation.

Julie’s point of inspiration for Celebration Donation was the many children’s birthday parties she attended with her daughter, Audrey. Having to continually purchase the $15 "ticket for entry" gift for each party – she started to think about how this money could be more beneficial if given to charity. She began talking to the other Moms at these parties, and all the Moms voiced the same opinion... let's teach our kids about the value of giving.  After the kitchen brainstorming with Sarah, the idea materialized quickly. They realized there was an incredible opportunity to create a new donation-generating company.

Through the years, the idea continued to grow.  Julie and Sarah conducted many interviews and group discussions with mentors, peers, nonprofits, fundraisers, Moms, kids, friends and family.  Every discussion led to many "Aha!" moments that helped evolve and shape Celebration Donation.  They moved from being kid-focused to being all-focused.  They moved from focusing on gift-giving occasions (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, housewarming parties, etc.) to focusing on all occasions and gatherings (e.g., book clubs, girls' night out, neighborhood picnics, etc.).  They also discovered that Celebration Donation has the potential to become a wonderful fundraising tool for nonprofits in any community.

After filling out all of the initial required forms for the state and federal governments, Celebration Donation became a tax-exempt, 501c(3)-approved nonprofit in October of 2006.

To raise the needed funds to create this website, Julie and Sarah threw two major fundraising parties in Plano, TX (2006) and Erie, PA (2008) during the live telecast of the Miss USA Pageant.  Julie has been having Miss USA Pageant Parties with friends for the past ten years, so they decided to have the theme party as a fundraising event for Celebration Donation.  Over 50 women attended each party, wearing old bridesmaid gowns, homemade sashes and tiaras.  All the guests enjoyed "playing" along with the pageant by cheering for their chosen state to take the crown.  The "winner" was awarded a bottle of champagne to toast the victory!  Both parties raised about $16,000 for Celebration Donation.  Private donations from benefactors and founders provided the remaining funds needed to create the website.

Julie Rahner Hersch – Founder, Director of Marketing Julie attended Penn State, graduating in 1988, and started her working life as a Wienermobile driver for Oscar Mayer. After a year of driving a 23 foot hotdog across the United States, she moved to NYC and worked in advertising (DDB Needham) and branding (Sterling Brands) for 14 years. These jobs launched her career in market research. With many incredible mentors during her Sterling days, Julie really came to understand the power of great branding and consumer passion. She continues to moderate consumer research for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Julie’s motto is to enjoy each and every day to the fullest.  Interests include practicing yoga, walking the beach (in search of beach glass) and spending time with family and friends.

Sarah Hemendinger – Founder, Director of Research Sarah Hemendinger was born and raised in Upstate New York. She graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelors degree in 2000, and received a Masters of Library and Information Science from University of North Texas in 2005. Sarah began working in libraries when she was 16. It was in this setting she discovered a love of research and organization, and decided to make it a lifelong pursuit. She has worked as a college, elementary school and corporate librarian. Sarah’s hobbies include cooking, outdoor activities and community involvement. She believes that constantly challenging oneself is the key to staying vibrant.

Kurt Hersch – Board of Directors Kurt Hersch always wanted to start his own company.  After graduating from Penn State in 1989, he made his mark for the next 10 years working for large corporations such as IBM and The Chase Manhattan Bank.  While working full-time, he went back to school and gained his MBA from New York University in 1994. Kurt then met the challenge of working for a few technology start-ups and was co-founder of TruLogica, an enterprise-class security software company located in Plano, TX, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2004.  Currently, Kurt teaches management and entrepreneurship at Gannon University located in Erie, PA. Throughout his career, his main focus has been on starting and building successful organizations and it is this experience that he brings to the classroom bridging classroom theory with real-world practice. Kurt tries to live by Gandhi’s teaching that “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”  Interests include skiing, practicing yoga and spending time with his family and friends at Lake Erie.

Bob Hersch – Controller Bob knew at an early age that a cheap suit and smile would get him ahead in the world of accounting and finance.  The suit is but a memory but Bob continues to smile at the accounting world and has a slightly different approach to finance than most people you find in the business community.    The idea of giving to a charity of ones choice, and to multiply the donation amount by the number of people gathered to celebrate a birthday, holiday, community event or fundraiser, makes the bean counter smile and wish good returns to the giver.    Bob is married to Pat Riley Hersch and they are trying to raise an Irish Wolfhound puppy to be able to go out and relate to the other dogs in the neighborhood.  They also enjoy helping others to obtain their goals... an ingredient that in turn enriches their lives.

Danielle Halikias – Design Manager Danielle Halikias was born in New Orleans, LA but spent her formative years in Santa Cruz, CA.  She founded the Chaminade Artists Series in 1990 for the Santa Cruz Art League, ultimately exhibiting over 2,500 paintings from more than 300 regional California artists.   She continues to work as an art consultant and dealer.  In 2000, she received her Interior Design degree from Canada College in Woodside, CA.  Presently, she splits her time between Dallas, TX and Greece.   Her passions include healthy food, traveling, yoga, dancing and searching for the perfect beach.

Erin Doolin Fessler – Board of Directors, Marketing & Public Relations Born a very shy baby in Cleveland, OH, Erin Doolin Fessler blew her parents away when she told them that she wanted to major in Communications, Marketing and Public Relations at John Carroll University.  Raised in Erie, PA, her first job was at Dairy Queen, where her rainbow slushes still remain a classic.   During college, she worked for University Hospitals in Cleveland and CNN in Washington, D.C., where she ran camera for Larry King.  After graduation, she worked for WSEE TV 35, the Community Blood Bank, PNC Bank and Utley Orthodontics all in the corporate communications field.  Presently Erin is the Marketing and Public Relations Director of The Erie Community Foundation, which helps donors support their favorite causes by building endowments and supporting the community.   She loves being a part of Celebration Donation because it is like Thanksgiving, her favorite holiday and her favorite quote, "Live simple, so others can simply live."  Life is not about the stuff but the moments.  Her passions include biking with her dad around the Penninsula, watching her mom cook, skiing with her daughters and playing golf with her husband... and catching a ND game or two.