Although Hannah Windhorn doesn't turn 16 until Jan. 22, she smiles when talking about the celebration she and her friend Aarika Merrill pulled off in the fall. 

Aarika's 16th birthday was at the end of September, so the duo decided on a date in the middle to host a joint party… with a twist. The Central Valley High School sophomores transformed their birthday bash into a giving gala for children at their Nov. 8 "Gatsby Girls Give Back" party. 

The idea came about last summer while the girls were working with younger children at a church Vacation Bible School program. 

"We wanted our party to not just be about us, but something that could help the community," Aarika said. 

They eventually settled on helping children at Sacred Heart Hospital. It was something Aarika had personal experience with since she remembered receiving gifts as a younger child during a hospital stay when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Then came the party planning. Since Hannah loved "The Great Gatsby," a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the girls decided the roaring 20s would be a great theme for the celebration. With a lot of help from their parents, the girls booked a DJ, created a food list and planned games and prizes. 

They also handed out Gatsby-themed invitations with ideas of toys that party attendees could donate-in lieu of gifts for the girls-to be given to children staying at Sacred Heart.

"Our friends thought it was really cool, something different than just us receiving gifts," Hannah said. 

When the night came, decorations turned a plain meeting room at the Spokane Valley Library into a Gatsby-inspired, sparkly venue. And the girls' friends jumped on board to make the night a success. Over 40 teens dressed up in 20s attire and brought board game, art supplies, books, nail polish, Legos, gifts cards and other presents for kids. 

One of the girls' friends, Brooke Cline, said she thought collecting toys for children was a "very giving and selfless idea."  Shannon Edwards, another friend, said she was glad to attend the party and it inspired her to make a difference.

"While I first saw the fundraiser idea on their invitation, I thought it was really generous of them," Shannon said. "It's not something most 16-year-olds would think of doing for a party… and The Great Gatsby theme was very clever and made the party unique."

Sheryl Merrill, Aarika's mom, said she was encouraged by the generosity of the girls' friends.

"They brought a ton of toys. It was such a good group of kids who had a great time at the party," she said. "They felt good about doing good." 

On the Monday after the party, Aarika and Hannah delivered 40 gift bags to a child life specialist at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. She assured the girls that the presents would be used to uplift the spirits of kids who are undergoing treatment, waiting for results or just needing a distraction from their illness.

It's important for people of all ages to look for ways they can help out others, Hannah said.

"We're all together in a community," she said. "Helping each other out by even the slightest thing, even one toy, can make a huge difference. It's important for kids to see what they can do to make a difference."

Lisa Windhorn, Hannah's mom, said she was proud of the girls and all the friends that showed up to support them. 

"Giving is always, always better than receiving," she said. "The kids all dressed up in roaring 20s attire and had a great time for a great cause. Kids giving to kids-it's very touching."