BIG TREE MEMORIAL FUND • HONORING ERIK KNAPP
Little Oak Project 2025
Special Love’s Holiday Party
Thank you to everyone who made the 2025 Little Oak Project Event such a wonderful time! This year, Big Tree Memorial Fund, Project Outrun, and Special Love joined forces for “Lace Up for Love: Rooted in Giving.”
Through Project Outrun and donations through Big Tree's Little Oak Project, every child and sibling received a swag bag filled with goodies, including custom socks, t-shirts, and even their very own pair of customized Nike shoes! 👟
The room was filled with smiles, music, and the unmistakable joy that comes when children and families get to simply be together. Attendees spent the afternoon enjoying a delicious lunch and lining up eagerly for face painting and balloon creations. And of course, no Holiday Party would be complete without a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus! Cameras flashed, wish-lists were shared, and hearts were full.
Extra thanks to the sponsors who made this event possible:
🎄 National Capital Optimist Club
🎄 NIH Federal Credit Union
🎄 Project Outrun
NBC4 was on-site to cover the event, sharing the spirit of Special Love with the wider community. Watch the segment here!
View more photos in the Facebook album here.
Little Oak Project 2024
We are constantly amazed by the children we meet.
The main event for our Little Oak Project in 2024 was through a partnership with Special Love for their holiday party.
Special Love provides a strong, nurturing environment for children with cancer and their families through its free camps and getaway weekends, emergency financial assistance, virtual programs, and educational scholarships for young adults who have beaten cancer and now want to move on with their lives. Each year, Special Love serves hundreds of children, teens, and young adults ages birth to 25 years old and their families.
The Holiday Party was held in the heart of DC and was a day full of joy and strength. It was wonderful witnessing children forget their troubles as they met with Santa (represented by Erik's father), Mrs. Clause (represented by Erik's Dottie), and picked a toy from the piles we supplied. The event featured amazing face paintings, a magician, and live music!
