Collegeville Photographer's Latest Project to Benefit Charity

The following was submitted to Perkiomen Valley Patch:

Local photographer Mandy Keep of Collegeville is quickly building a name for herself with some very unique photographic projects. Just this past summer Keep organized “Peace Baby,” a photo shoot in which 38 infants were arranged in the symbol of a peace sign as a symbolic reminder of why we should aim for peace in the world. Now she’s at it again with a photographic project scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21.

Keep is inviting children ages 5 and under to the . for a special “Sweet Hearts” photo shoot in which the participants will be arranged in and around a Whimsical custom-built “house of sweets.”

“This project is about love, I enjoy organizing projects, in the idea it seems so simple but a lot of work goes in behind the scenes. I love bringing people together, using their gifts and talents to do something good for the children and my part to the world” says Keep.
“This collective effort will promote other local businesses and hopefully inspire the community to get involved.”

The child-sized home was built by local homebuilder Simon Eastmure of Eastmure Custom Builders in Collegeville. Eastmure donated his time and services as the architect and builder. And he’s not the only one to step forward. As more and more of the local community began to find out about Keep’s efforts, interest began to grow. Home Depot donated all of the materials needed for the project.

Parents can receive the electronic image for $30 and 100 percent of the funds raised will go to charity. For each donation, $20 will go Williams Syndrome Association, which provides support for individuals who have Williams syndrome (Keep likes to call it “Williams special”) a rare genetic condition that Keep’s son Max was diagnosed with. The remaining monies will go to the charity of the donor’s personal choice. Keep wanted local participants to have an opportunity to give money to causes close to their own hearts just as Williams syndrome is close to her heart.

The progress of the “house of sweets” can be tracked online by visiting the Facebook page for Mandy Keep Photography.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with photo appointments only scheduled throughout the day. The resulting images will make ideal gifts for parents, grandparents and loved ones on Valentine’s Day. Keep says she wanted to share her vision of love, “pay it forward” and use her gift of photography to raise awareness for Williams syndrome, which is characterized by medical problems including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and learning disabilities. Keep recognized early on that her son’s development was delayed and got him enrolled in early intervention.

“He’s doing so well and has brought so much joy, peace and inspiration to my life,” says Keep. “The birth and love of my son was the birth and love of my photography”

Williams syndrome affects one in 10,000 babies and can occur among anyone regardless of gender or race. Parents of children with Williams syndrome face a variety of challenges and many children—like Max—have potentially life-threatening cardiovascular problems to deal with. But Keep says she takes it in stride. The young mother is not the type to sit back and feel sorry for herself or her situation. Instead, she is educating herself and her family and is now doing her part to raise awareness on behalf of her son. She recently started a blog that she hopes will give hope to other parents and has also become a place for Mandy to share some of Max’s story. The blog can be visited online.

Keep is asking that interested participants RSVP in order to secure an appointment time for the photo shoot. Refreshments and local vendors giving back, Phamous Phils BBQ, Risher Van Horn Florist, both Collegeville and Party Magic Plus of Limerick, will also be on-site throughout the day. For more information or to RSVP, contact Mandy Keep via email: mandykeep@live.com