Yellowknife (Apr 29/05) - Dressed in her nicest princess dress, five-year-old Delilah Hashi moved from guest to guest at her birthday party, greeting friends and playing with balls, toys and face make-up.

Dressed as a princess at her fifth birthday party at the Multiplex gym recently, Delilah Hashi didn't miss the lack of birthday presents.

She didn't seem to notice the one thing the fete was missing - the presents.

The party her mother Nancy planned for her at the Multiplex gym recently revealed a growing birthday party trend in Yellowknife.

Along with requests for the 30 guests to come in costume and bring their indoor shoes was a request to nix the gifts for the birthday girl and bring donations for one of four charities or projects in Yellowknife instead.

With six kids living in a Northlands trailer already filled with oodles of toys, Hashi doesn't have room for the toys that usually pile up at birthday parties.

"It usually equals a huge batch of presents we have no need or room for. I thought, why not take advantage and teach Delilah a life lesson at the same time," said Hashi.

She doesn't think her little girl fully understands the implications of the generous act, but hopes it will sink in when the two deliver the goodies to organizations like the Yellowknife Food Bank and the pediatric ward at the Stanton Territorial Hospital.

Hashi got the idea for the philanthropic party from her sister Laura Dies. At her four-year-old son Brahm's birthday in February, Dies decided to ask for donations in lieu of presents.

"We thought maybe it would be nice to share with those who don't have so much," Dies said.

When approached about the idea, Brahm latched onto it and seemed to even like it, said Dies.

The sisters made sure to discuss the concept with their kids before the party, letting it sink in that the boxes of food and presents dropped at the door were going to be donated.

Parent Laurel Jaque brought her three-year-old son and a five-month-old baby to celebrate Delilah's big day. It was her first taste of a present-less event.

Wonderful idea

"I thought it was a wonderful idea. Nowadays kids have so much," she said.

Jaque is contemplating the concept for her kid's parties in the future.

When the face paints were put away and the cake all gone, the Hashi family was left with a crate of food for the food bank, toys and books for the hospital and stationery that Ecole J.H. Sisson's plans to send to children in Africa.

"I'll definitely do this for my other daughter's birthdays," said Hashi.