Who am I… My name is Kathy Garing. But my family knows me as Kasia. I am a wife & mother of two loving, young and very active boys. Friends and family know me as the “hostess of the mostest,” as no attention to detail is ever missed and the parties go to the wee hours… literally. Whether it’s a simple, spontaneous Tuesday get together or a planned special event, I believe each moment and milestone should be acknowledged and celebrated momentously, as tomorrow is never guaranteed. A motto I always lived by, and teach my boys everyday.
How did Party Pop Co. start?
The event planning industry has always been a passion of mine. It has been a long dream to one day open a shop to be able to share my vision and enthusiasm to celebrate all of life’s moments- the big and the small. However, timing was never right.
In 2019 my dad, Mietek, was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer without little warning of his illness. He was given a survival “sentence” of 3 weeks to 3 years. With the severity of illness, his prognosis was not favorable. And from one day to the next, he was instructed that he must leave his 40+ years carpentry work behind. My dad underwent several invasive emergency surgeries. The immediate focus went to get him better and on treatment. Watching the man that taught me everything I know from work ethic to his trade of carpentry suddenly perish…crushed me. Due to the language barrier (both of my parents were born and raised in Poland speaking almost exclusively Polish), my dad did not know the full extent of his illness and was keeping his faith strong! He successfully completed all 12 rounds of IV drip chemo with minor side effects. And then COVID hit, I was no longer able to attend each chemo treatment, encourage him through the lows and help him with each Doctor visit. He, as I would imagine many others in his situation, were forced to find the strength in themselves as they were not allowed any visitors to be with them. Nonetheless, he soon discovered the extent of his illness. It was after that point I watched my dad give up entirely. The depression set in. Although we seeked medical intervention to help him through it, he did not want be bothered and he shut down completely. I mourned the loss of a man I loved. The once “do it your all, happy go lucky” dad I knew was not there any more. My dad did not want to be bothered by anyone. He kept to himself.
Fast forward to August 2021: On a Sunday afternoon visit, I approached my dad with a sketch idea I was pondering on. I asked him, based on his carpentry experience, if he thought it would be hard to make. He quickly grabbed grid paper and we spent that evening sketching and planning what would be the start of Party Pop Co.
The next day together, we made our first prototype of that first marquee letter that we drew the day before. And for the first time since Covid started (Over 12 months later), I saw the spark in my dad eyes again. I stayed over that entire week and we worked hand-in-hand designing, sketching, cutting and planning. I didn’t know exactly where this would take us but I knew I had my dad back, and there was no stopping us! We bonded and we laughed. Something I thought I would never see again. As we were working through making props for Party Pop Co. … I expressed to my father my concerns about the right timing and the company’s venture. It was then that my dad reminded me that “No dream is too big. I came here, with your mother, four kids, four suitcases, and NO language.. all for a better future.” “Don’t cut your dreams, work hard and you will persevere.” In that moment, I realized that by pursuing MY dreams, I was not only able to help others celebrate milestones in their lives, but I was also able to once again celebrate the man I knew and loved, that the vicious cancer took away.
THE Team you want
The inspirational Team that Makes memories
Our Promise
Our Promise: All of Party Pop Co. props are designed and handcrafted or refurbished by myself, my “Pop”- aka Dad, and my Husband- the wiz of all trades. Our entire collection is fully customizable and will make your event the talk of the town.
Did we mention how cool your photos will be? Trust us. They’ll be Insta-worthy. We look forward to making each celebration personalized and memorable!
