WSHU: This is Randy Kaye from WSHU Public Radio and host of the podcast Good at Heart, which, by the way, is what you're listening to right now. I am here with a member of the MOMbies®, a group of moms on a mission. We'll learn all about it. Full disclosure: I have known this woman since she was a child. Okay, so I'm here with Allyson Mandelbaum. Welcome, Allyson.
Allyson Mandelbaum: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. This is great.
WSHU: You know, you and your family are truly all good at heart because we are friends. But I learned a couple of years ago about this group that you're part of, and that's the main thing I'm going to ask you about today. So you are not the founder, but you are a very active member of the MOMbies®. So I'm going to ask you question number one of Good at Heart, which is: Who do you help and how? Tell us all about MOMbies®.
AM: Yes, this is just a group of ordinary moms, you know, that want to make an extraordinary impact. So we basically spend from late August to October learning a dance. Thriller is always in the mix, but it's really all to make money for breast cancer and to raise money for breast cancer. So how this started-it's amazing because this is our 11th year. So this started 11 years ago.
WSHU: And have you been in it since the beginning?
AM: No, this is actually my second year. And can I tell you, when I got the text from another mom asking if I wanted to do it, my answer was immediately, “This is the invitation I've been waiting for my whole life.” Because I have been watching the MOMbies® for the past 11 years and just so much wanted to be a part of it for how much fun they have, the dancing, and also just what they do and how much money they raise. So it's just an amazing organization. But it really all started because Terry, who is the head of it, who's our director…
WSHU: Terry Davis,
AM: the founder. Yes, Terry Davis. She, 11 years ago, just wanted to do something fun with other moms in the neighborhood and surprise her kids on Halloween. So they all dressed up as zombies and went out and did this like flash mob dance. She didn't expect the reaction she got, or how much press and publicity it would get. And from that thought, this is such a big thing that I didn't think was going to be a big thing, that I'm now going to figure out a way to make this do some good and raise money for a cause. And October, being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, knowing so many people, I think we all do, who have been affected by breast cancer, she kind of put two and two together and started making it a fundraiser. And so, over the past 11 years, we have raised $1.3 million, and it all goes to Memorial Sloan Kettering, and it's just such an amazing thing. It really is.
WSHU: You have amazing social media accounts, and you've been on television. I think Good Morning America.
AM: Yeah, we were on live with Kelly and Ryan. We're on with David Muir every year. He does something about it. We get a lot of attention, a lot of press. I mean, look, it's a group of 50-plus moms dressed up as zombies doing a dance in the street.
WSHU: That's amazing, and I will mention that many, many, or maybe all of the moms are in the WSHU listening area.
AM: Yes,
WSHU: Mostly Connecticut. Probably not too many of you guys on Long Island, right?
AM: No, no, no. We actually have our furthest member from Florida. But she's great. She makes it to at least 50% of the rehearsals and dances every year. It's awesome.
WSHU: That's amazing. So over a million dollars raised. And is there just one dance, or do you do several dances throughout the Halloween season? How does that work?
AM: So October 31st this year, we're going to do October 31st. We always do on Halloween, and that's going to be at the Fairfield Town Hall. And then there is another date that we're kind of finalizing for our other dance, but we always, you know, do another date. That'll be on the website as that's kind of finalized, and we figure all that out. But yes, there will be another date. But Halloween, we always do, and it'll be at Town Hall this year in Fairfield.
WSHU: And of course, people can go to mombies.org and donate without seeing the dance. But of course, you want to see the dance.
AM: You want to see the dance. But yes, of course. And I will say, all of our donations are also matched, so just know that too, which is unbelievable. So yes, on the website, you can go there and donate. Also, I encourage everyone to follow us on social media on Instagram. It's @Mombiesorg. On TikTok, it's Mombiesct, and on Facebook, it's MOMbies. Because a lot of the time we post just a lot of fun content, you know, as we're learning the dance, as we're getting dressed up, as we're doing different visits and things like that. It's really taking breast cancer, which is such a heavy topic and awful disease, and really trying to, like, have some fun and laughs about it and just make people smile.
WSHU: And raise a lot of money.
AM: And raise a lot of money. Yes.
WSHU: So now I'm going to ask you the second question, Allyson, which is why you were a theater kid, and you were a theater kid, and you have a theatrical background, and you love to dance. Like Terry says, women who never set foot on a dance floor know how to lead a fearsome group of women. So you don't have to be a dancer, but I know that you thrive in front of an audience, as do I. But other than that, why you like why why does this mission matter to you?
AM: Yes, first of all, guilty of all of those things. But yes, we. I mean, we all know women who have been affected by breast cancer. You know, everybody has a friend, a relative. So I fully believe in always giving back in everything that I do. So to be able to give back to this incredible mission while having so much fun doing it, you know, and being with this incredible group of women who feel the same and are so passionate about it, it's like there's nothing better than combining those two things, like being able to give back and having fun while doing it. I mean, that's just the dream.
WSHU: That's the dream. And on the mombies.org website, you can see full bios of the founders. But each mom in there also gets a little bio. So I'm going to read yours, mom of two, which I know. Name your kids,
AM: Chase and Seisha.
WSHU: Okay, and my favorite recipe is whatever is easy and written on the box. Okay, favorite movie: Dirty Dancing. Biggest fear: not living life to its fullest. But I want to go back to something that is your profession, other than this. Right now, you're the owner of Shady Lady. Tell us a bit about Shady Lady and how that also ties into being good at heart.
AM: Yeah, so I started Shady Lady six years ago, and really I started it because I couldn't find a hat that fit me, and I was very jealous of my husband, who could just put on a baseball cap, you know, and walk out the door and look put together. And me, who had no time to do my hair, could not find a hat that fit me. Did some research and found out that really most hats are made from the measurements of a man's head, not a woman's head, which is why they don't fit us correctly. Immediately had an issue with that and decided that I was going to start my own women's hat company and make hats, you know, from the measurements of women's heads. So that's how Shady Lady started, and I love to give back through this company. You know, as I said, that's always going to be a part of who I am and what I do. So for September and October, 50% of the sales from our pink sporty hat will go directly to the MOMbies®. So that's our way as a small business, small local business, to be able to give back, and if any other businesses, local businesses, small businesses are interested in, you know, kind of partnering with us to do any sort of donation or sales or anything like that, I would go on the website and just email us, and we'll get back to you and kind of work that out with you because it's a great way to partner.
WSHU: I love that. So, in a way, we've jumped ahead to question four, which was, "How can others help you now?” You've mentioned a couple of things. Obviously, going on the website, following the MOMbies®, donating money, going to see the dance, offering part of your business profits, going to the MOMbies®. Anything else we left out here?
AM: You know, if you're not able to donate, you know, which I totally understand, social media is a great way to help us. You know, it doesn't cost anything to share a story, share a post. You know, just kind of get that out there, like, comment. All of that helps because it lets other people see us. You know, who may be in a position to donate, so all of that is great support.
WSHU: You're obviously a person who loves to give back. Is there a piece of advice you ever got, or a quote, or a philosophy you live by? Like, what inspires Allyson?
AM: I will say, my dad, who you know very well, spent a huge part of his life running a nonprofit that helped people with disabilities. One thing that he has always said to us growing up, and still says, is to leave the world a better place than how you found it. And I feel like that is such a simple little nugget, but it's so true. Just do something to leave it a better place. So I try to really do that in everything that I do.
WSHU: Yeah, I love that. And before we get to the final question, I've got a mom question for you because I have a daughter. My daughter has daughters. You have a daughter. Many of the MOMbies® might have daughters who, when they're three, think the MOMbies® are scary, and then when they're six, think the MOMbies® are cool. Are any of the daughters going, Mom? You're embarrassing me. Are any of you getting that?
AM: Of course we are. We're moms, of course we are. But I like to think it helps me to think that even though my daughter has to say that on the outside, inside she really thinks that it's cool.
WSHU: Well, she’s 22; she'll go back. And you know, Mom, I gave you a hard time, but…
AM: That's just what I tell myself to make myself feel better, but no, and I have to say, my son is obsessed with Halloween, so he thinks it's like the coolest thing ever. You know, he was like, last year at all of the performances, he stayed all day because he just loves Halloween. So it was like his dream come true. You know, my daughter, we're working on it, but inside, I know. I know she loves it.
WSHU: I'm absolutely certain that she does. So I like to ask a final question of all my interviewees, and I've never gotten the exact same answer twice. So why do you think we're here on Earth?
AM: I mean, that is a great question. I mean, you know, I think there's a bunch of things. I think similar to what I said, you know, trying to make the world a better place, I think, is a huge part of it. I mean, you know, what else can it be besides trying to help people and make the world a better place? On top of that, I think there's also a piece of just having fun while you're here. You know, it's such a small, finite amount of time. Just have as much fun as you can. You know, and enjoy those little moments. You know, having fun doesn't mean huge trips and big things. It means, you know, the small little moments throughout the day that just make you smile and make you go like, "Oh, this is pretty good today. Enjoy those small moments and do what you can to enjoy them.
WSHU: I love that so much. So that's my final question, but not really, because is there anything else you wanted to say that I didn't give you a chance to say?
AM: You know, for people to understand that the mombies, as an organization, are all volunteers. These are all busy moms. These are all moms who work. This group and this initiative mean so much to us that we give up this time, and we go out there and we fundraise and we do what we need to do. So, you know, just encouraging everybody in the community, and really anybody who's listening, to get involved and help support.
