Today, the Muddy Puddles Project celebrates its fifth anniversary. The organization, the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation, which is the fundraising arm of a foundation to support pediatric cancer research, will be celebrating the date with its annual main event, called the Mess Fest, in Mahopac, New York. More than 3,000 kids and their families are expected to attend the carnival-like event. The Mess Fest is inspired by Ty Campbell, the foundation’s namesake, who loved Peppa Pig and jumping in muddy puddles. During Mess Fest, kids can ride ziplines, play with paints, have food fights, throw pies, and, of course, jump in mud puddles. What more could a kid ask for?!
The event has not only become the favorite charity of Peppa Pig, but it’s also garnered support from celebrity moms Lisa Loeb, Tamera Mowry, Tiffani Thiessen, and Melissa Joan Hart and people across social media are participating in the Peppa Muddy Puddle Challenge.
As I’ve written about before, the cancers that attack kids are often rare and, in many times, aggressive. The Muddy Puddles Project hopes to improve survival rates for kids diagnosed with cancer and help to support pediatric cancer research. But, at its core, it’s also a celebration of innocence and childhood and a very messy reminder of the importance of letting kids be kids.
To get a better sense of what the Mess Fest is and hear from Ty’s mom, watch the following video:
