Champions for Children Summit

The Champions for Children Summit, presented by Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, was a two-part educational and celebratory event for area nonprofits and Variety donors. The event was held on November 8, 2011 and was open to the public. The Summit included a morning Community Connections Forum, Champions for Children Luncheon at noon, and Keynote Speaker Elaine Hall following lunch.

Community Connections Forum

8:15 a.m. - Noon

Beginning at 8:15 a.m., area nonprofits were invited to attend Variety’s Community Connections Forum to learn industry best practices and hear from an array of thought leaders regarding children with disabilities. The forum was free to Variety partner agencies or $35 for other individuals, and included lunch. Continuing education credits (CEUs) were available.  Breakout session speakers included:

  • Bob Cunningham: Occupational Therapy Educator, Maryville University
  • Maeve Connor: Social Media Strategist and Copywriter, 4ORCE Digital
  • Sue Schlicter: Executive Director, Express Scripts Foundation
  • Tom Schweizer: Director, Summit Leadership Initiative
  • Mary Steward: Community Liaison, Intellectual & Developmental Disability Research Center (IDDRC)

Champions for Children Luncheon 

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

At noon, Variety hosted its annual Champions for Children luncheon, honoring our donors and partners for their generous contributions to Variety in 2010-2011.  Among the honorees was Variety's 2011 Champion for Kids, Keith Tkachuk, for going above and beyond to help local children, as well as our organization's top volunteers and corporate sponsors. 

Stellar Performance Award Winners & Keynote Speaker 

1:45 - 3:15 p.m.

After the Champions for Children Luncheon, Variety honored its Stellar Performance Award winners, recognizing select partner agencies for their extraordinary commitment to Variety programs.

Immediately following the award ceremony, Elaine Hall - internationally recognized Autism educator and advocate, author of "Now I See the Moon," and founder of "The Miracle Project" - took the stage as the keynote speaker.  For more information about Elaine, visit her blog on The Huffington Post.