When a child is removed from home and placed in foster care, often there’s little more than five minutes to pack. Whatever gets left behind stays behind.
For $25, the Ticket to Dream Foundation ensures that a kit containing the things kids forget is waiting for them on that first night away. The need for this doesn’t let up. A child enters foster care every two minutes in the United States.
“They have five minutes and a trash bag from their home to foster care,” says Sara Murphy, executive director of Jewelers for Children (JFC). “We want to make sure that kids have that kit there, and that kit costs $25.”
It’s one of the quieter things the jewelry industry pays for through JFC, which has donated more than $1.9 million to its nine nonprofit partners in 2026 and more than $67 million since its founding in 1999.
JFC’s 2027 Honorees
On June 6, 2027, the industry will gather at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas for Facets, JFC’s 28th annual fundraising gala, where it will honor Sarin Bachmann, senior vice president of RX’s jewelry portfolio (which includes the JCK, Luxury, and JIS shows, plus JCK magazine and JCKonline.com), and Julie Walsh, senior vice president of Center Core and Beauty at Macy’s.
“Sarin and Julie exemplify the JFC values of integrity, kindness, and philanthropy,” said JFC board chair Craig Stern, who also cited “the impact both RX and Macy’s have had on our industry, and their dedication to supporting those in need.”
Two Industry Champions
Bachmann served on JFC’s board from 2018 to 2024. What stayed with her wasn’t any single charity but “the impact it has on these children’s lives, that’s what really got to me,” she says.
“What tugs at my heartstrings the most is when we all get involved and rally around a cause as an industry,” Bachmann says. Over the years, JCK has hosted Make-A-Wish recipients in Las Vegas and helped grant their wishes during the JCK show.
One such visit was planned for a young Make-A-Wish kid during last year’s show. It included tickets to the Sphere through The Venetian, a credit at the girl’s favorite restaurant, gifts from jewelers, and a small shopping spree. And when the doors opened, JCK staff and the JFC board planned to line up and cheer her onto the show floor.
“Unfortunately she got so sick right before the show that she wasn’t able to come,” Bachmann says. Even so, she adds, the moment showed “how helpful you can be, giving back even the smallest amount.” The industry didn’t let the wish go unfinished: Jewelers and The Venetian sent her gifts through JFC, which she enjoyed once she was home from the hospital.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by Jewelers for Children and humbled to join the remarkable group of past honorees. JFC’s mission is close to my heart, and I am proud to be part of an industry that comes together so generously to help children and families facing extraordinary challenges. This recognition is especially meaningful because it is an opportunity to inspire even greater support for JFC’s work,” says Bachmann.
Walsh was named senior vice president of Center Core and Beauty at Macy’s in 2022, leading a merchandise organization that spans beauty, jewelry, handbags, shoes, and accessories.
“We are honored that Macy’s and our Mission Every One social purpose platform can play a part in supporting the Jewelers for Children vision and its lasting impact for these deserving nonprofit partners,” Walsh said in a statement. “Accepting this award is especially meaningful as we begin this relationship, and we hope our contribution helps advance the incredible work being done to give children and families a brighter future.”
Walsh began her career as an executive trainee at Macy’s and has held leadership roles across its merchant organization, including in fine jewelry.
“It’s pretty incredible that they’re giving their time and are such a strong part of the community,” Murphy said of the honorees.
JFC’s Work
Facets is JFC’s biggest fundraiser, but the organization gives year-round to all nine of its charity partners, such as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Make-A-Wish foundation. For the latter, JFC cosponsors more than 20 wishes each year in conjunction with involved jewelers.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America, JFC’s newest partner, is often thought of as a place for younger kids to spend after-school hours, but the program JFC funds is aimed at teenagers, offering mentorship and career readiness at the age when many are taking their first steps toward work, says Murphy.
A Dollar at a Time
Facets is the celebration, Murphy says, but the work happens all year long—much of it at the jewelry counter. JFC once relied on donation canisters at checkout. Nobody carries change anymore, so the organization has shifted to round-up and add-a-dollar donations built into retailers’ point-of-sale systems, inviting customers to round their purchases up to the next dollar.
The program is integrated with The Edge and Jewel360, so participating stores can switch it on in software they already use, then send the funds raised to JFC.
That small change adds up. Last year, for instance, Daniel’s Jewelers raised $105,000 for JFC through round-up and add-a-dollar donations. At $25 apiece, that’s the equivalent of 4,200 first-night kits for children entering foster care.
Every round-up at the register, every Facets ticket, and every auction bid ends up benefiting someone. Sometimes it’s a $25 kit, waiting for a child who had five minutes and a trash bag to pack.
Retailers interested in adding round-up donations at their registers can learn more at jewelersforchildren.org. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets to Facets.
Top: JFC honorees Julie Walsh and Sarin Bachmann
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