Ben Haggray holds a special place in Simon Says Give history as the first birthday child we celebrated in April 2012. We met Ben through the sisters at Visitation Monastery when his family was living in north Minneapolis, and that connection changed our lives forever.

What began with celebrating Ben's 8th birthday grew into celebrating his sisters' birthdays and maintaining a close relationship with the family over the years. Even after they moved to Georgia, our connection remained strong.

Tragically, in September 2024, Ben was visiting family in Minnesota when he became an innocent victim of gun violence while downtown Minneapolis. At just 20 years old, Ben's life was cut short, leaving behind grieving family, friends, and our entire Simon Says Give family.

To honor Ben's memory and in partnership with his family, we are launching "Birthdays for Ben" - an annual Birthday Box build event. This April, we aim to create 210 Birthday Boxes in celebration of what would have been Ben's 21st birthday.