IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mary Taylor Beck
Director of Public Relations
Office: (314) 453-0453 X 22
Cell: (314) 520-8011
Fax: (314) 453-0488
mary@varietystl.org
www.varietystl.org
TWO LOCAL CHILDREN WILL SCORE HISTORIC HOME RUNS TUESDAY ON CARDINALS FIELD DURING PRE-GAME PRESENTATION
Pat Mercurio, new board president, presents Ambassador’s Medal
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – September 8, 2006– Two local Variety children will experience a historic transition during a pre-game, on-field presentation at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, September 12, at 6:45 p.m. prior to the Cardinals vs. Houston game. Ten-year-old Libby Schueddig of Arnold, who has been a poster child for Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis for three years, will “pass the torch” as poster child to eight-year-old Chase Lakas of Florissant. Libby has Spina Bifida and has been served by Variety since 1996. Chase has a translocation of the Y and 12th chromosome and Hypotonia and has been served by Variety since 2003.
Pat Mercurio, the new president of the board of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis and president of Bank of America-Missouri, will present Libby with a Variety Ambassador’s Medal as the retiring poster child. Historically, each Variety poster child is transitioned to an official ambassador capacity to continue to assist in raising awareness regarding the mission of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis. Also historically, once a new president of the board has been announced, a new poster child is announced. Mercurio was named president of the board of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis at the organization’s annual Dinner With the Stars gala on April 22, 2006. Variety’s former board president was Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch Inc, who served an unprecedented four-year term.
At the conclusion of this historic announcement, Chase Lakas will officially be Variety’s new poster child. His role in this honorary position will include appearances at such events as the annual April Variety Week including Variety Easter Parade, Easter Egg Hunt and Dinner With the Stars gala, plus the annual November Allocations Luncheon when funding and Sunshine Coach vans are awarded to partner agencies. He will also attend other Variety events to assist in raising awareness of Variety’s mission to serve children with physical and mental disabilities in the Greater St. Louis region, each time they need assistance, from infancy through the age of 21.
For twenty-one years of a child’s life, Variety provides durable medical equipment, transportation, developmental programs and a resource center, each time they need the assistance. In addition, Variety provides funding to 93 local partner agencies. Variety serves a total of 200,000 children in the Greater St. Louis region.
Into its 74th year, Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis is one of 52 international Variety chapters. Known around the world as the entertainment industry’s charity, chapters of Variety the Children’s Charity include 14 countries such as Canada, England, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South and West Australia, and South Africa.
Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis is a leading chapter and every dollar raised in St. Louis, stays in St. Louis. To find out more about Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, call (314) 453-0453 or visit www.varietystl.org.
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