Keith Tkachuk is 2011 Champion for Kids

We’re so excited that we get to honor an extraordinary athlete with a huge heart tomorrow! Keith Tkachuk will receive the Champion for Kids award at Variety’s Champions for Children Luncheon. The award dates back to 1981, annually recognizing a nationally known celebrity who has gone above and beyond to help local children with disabilities.

Other recipients have included Sammy Davis Jr., Ozzie Smith, Jack Buck, John Forsythe, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Stan Musial, Bob Costas, Dan Dierdorf, Georgia Frontiere, Bob Eubanks, Marshall Faulk, Kelly Chase, Joe Buck and Mike Matheny.

As a 2011 inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Tkachuk is known for being one of only four American born players to score 500 goals. The sixth American player to score 1,000 points in his 19-year professional career, his commitment to excellence extends off the ice to children in both the United States and Canada.

Here in St. Louis, his dedicated “Tkachuk’s Corner” of Scottrade Center impacted more than 2,100 children in just three years. He is also a dedicated supporter of a number of children’s organizations, including St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Glennon, as well as the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba and Friends of Kids with Cancer.

Tkachuk, or “Walt,” as he’s known to many St. Louis Blues fans, is currently enjoying his retirement as a youth hockey coach. We look forward to spending time with him tomorrow, and we thank him for his service to this community!