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  News & Press  Press Releases In the News Newsletter
National Conference
Freedom Concepts
2009 Gold Hearts
Kids on the Go!
Mobility Freedom
Disney Bags
Welcome our new EDs
Variety Spotlight
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Tom Fenno generously kicked off our meeting with a fantastic dinner on Sunday at his beautiful home, where we welcomed attendees from across the country and even Canada and Australia. As everyone enjoyed hors d'oeuvres poolside and the twinkling of the city lights of Los Angeles, U.S. delegates mingled with Variety International members still in town from International’s mid-winter board meeting. VI Past President Tony Hatch entertained the crowd on the piano. Variety of Philadelphia was awarded the 1st Place Fiscal Excellence Award for the third year in a row, and Executive Director Andrew Pack kindly presented the award to the ED of his satellite office in Delaware, Meghan Evans, for her own efforts and growth. Monday was focused on educational content regarding generational differences in charitable giving and volunteer leadership, the personal liability of nonprofit board members, accounting for special events, the power of public relations and building relationships with corporate and individual donors during turbulent times. Ana LaDou and Drew McLellan led an open discussion about the marketing of the Variety organization, successfully taking strides toward unifying our branding. We ended the conference on Tuesday, when we were guests of Paramount Studios at the ArcLight Theatre in Hollywood for a Gold Heart presentation, lunch and a screening of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. There was a real sense of learning, growth and excitement for the Variety organization throughout the conference, and we thank everyone in attendance for their enthusiasm and contributions during the meeting.
Freedom Concepts attended our National Conference, with President Ken Vanstraelen on hand to very generously donate a specially-adaptive bicycle to Variety of Philadelphia, the 1st Place Fiscal Excellence Award winner, as well as a $1,000 gift certificate to every Tent that attended the Conference. They have developed a Variety-branded bike that features our logo, putting the Variety name out there every time we help a child.
We are thrilled to be working with Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation on this year’s Gold Heart Campaign featuring Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Lovable lion Alex smiles on the face of the pin, which will be available in theatres across the country starting in October. Let all your Variety supporters and Madagascar fans know they should stampede the theatres for this collectible item before they run out!
“Mommy, watch. Thank you, Variety!” 9-year-old Emily from Minnesota squeals with excitement on her brand new specially adaptive bike, funded by Variety Kids on the Go!. Because of her cerebral palsy, Emily has difficulties with balance and needed an adaptive bicycle as part of her rehabilitation plan. Variety offered assistance with the purchase to help Emily strengthen her legs and improve her motor skills. Her mother says, “The most exciting thing is that I have my two daughters enrolled in the extended before/after school program for the summer. They have a bike club this year so I am bringing her bike to school on Friday so that she can practice the rules of the road with others in her class. Then her para is going to ride with her to a local park a few blocks away with the rest of the bike club. It is so important to her to feel a part of her class and this is such a big deal for her. I wish you could have seen her squeal with delight when she found out she would be able to take part.” Congratulations to Emily, and a big thanks to AMC and Marcus for fundraising in Minneapolis to support Variety Kids on the Go!.
14-year-old Lucy May Hylton has osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition that has caused Lucy’s bones to become extremely fragile and brittle. Lucy has undergone multiple procedures to help strengthen her bones and improve her condition. However, due to its severity, she has had multiple fractures and is no longer able to walk with a walker, making her wheelchair-dependent. Lucy is an extremely active teen and enjoys venturing to a nearby park with her friends. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding through her insurance company for a specialized bike, she was forced to use her wheelchair to travel to the park, whereas her friends are able to bike. Variety of Illinois has provided funding for a specialized XLT Handcycle that allows Lucy to join her friends in their park activities and allows her the opportunity to be more active outdoors. The handcycle has also enhanced her quality of life through being able to socialize with her peers and adopt healthy living habits. Luc’s father, Matt, says, “The bike is assembled and it is perfect. I can't describe how happy and excited Lucy has been since that moment! The bike is just awesome and Lucy has been riding it almost non-stop. She's already gotten the hang of it and she loves it. I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done. You guys are AWESOME! Thank you so much!! You have given this young lady a means to freedom, independence and exercise we thought we would never be able to provide.” We are honored to work with Fred Astaire Dance Studios so children like Lucy can receive the freedom they deserve. We would like to thank all of the partnerships and supporters that have been established to assist both Fred Astaire Dance Studios and Variety with fundraising for deserving children.
Variety partnered with Disney to distribute more than 10,000 bags to Variety Tents throughout the country at no charge. Decorated with festive promotions for The Haunted Mansion and Brother Bear movies and adorned with sturdy plastic handles, these bags satisfied the candy gathering needs of all Variety children on Halloween. In addition, many of the Tents found other applications for these charming plastic treasures. Variety of Eastern Tennessee filled them with t-shirts and other goodies for upcoming events. Variety of Iowa followed suit as they prepared them for their Bike for Kids event, Back to School event, and Telethon.
Welcome to KATIE GOODSPEED, new Executive Director of Variety of New York. Katie brings more than eight years of international and domestic non-profit management experience to Variety. She has worked with HIV/AIDS clinics and local community centers in India and South Africa on organizational development, strategic planning, capacity building, new program development and fundraising. Most recently, Katie spearheaded UNICEF’s new global career development program, a two-day training that is currently being implemented. As Director of Membership and Events at the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Katie managed over 1,000 members and planned monthly and annual fundraising events. Katie attended Bates College, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science. During college, she spent subsequent semesters abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and King’s College in London, England. Katie holds a M.S. in Organizational Management from the School for International Training (SIT). Please welcome her by e-mail at kgoodspeed@varietyny.org. We welcome back JOLIE PATRICIA SESTER, who returns to the Variety family as the Chief Operating Officer for Orlando (Tent 70). She is no stranger to Variety or Orlando non-profit organizations—Jolie served Orlando as Executive Director in 2005. After nearly 3 years as Executive Director of the Space Coast Office (Florida) of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation where she recently received their award for “Highest Dollar Growth in a Small Market,” Jolie rejoins Variety with a renewed enthusiasm and excitement to grow the Orlando Chapter and help expand the group’s activities to the entire state. Previous experience includes a five year tenure with WMFE- TV/FM (public broadcasting for Central Florida) as Major Giving Manager, Administrator of Wayne Densch Charities, Inc. and volunteering many years with the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation. Please e-mail her at jolie@varietyflorida.org.
When was the last time you saw a child’s face light up? Imagine that same look of surprise and joy when a child receives an adaptive bike or another mobility item funded by Variety the Children’s Charity’s Kids on the Go! Program. With the goal of bringing joy to more children, U.S. Variety is honored to welcome as Board President Hank Lightstone, Chief Operating Officer of Muvico Theatres. Hank has more than 35 years of experience in the film and theater exhibition business, making him a perfect fit to lead our Association. He is the third generation of his family to take an active role in the film industry and Variety the Children's Charity. Hank's dedication to Variety and raising funds for the children has always been a part of his career. He has been named Man of the Year by the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens and was awarded the ShowEast Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian award. In addition, Hank has been a member of Variety of New York since 1970 and is past Chief Barker and Board member of Variety of Colorado. He has also served as an Ambassador of Variety International and Member of the Variety Lifeline Board. As Board President, Hank’s vision will be to bring Variety back to it’s’ roots in entertainment. Unifying brand and mobility programs into one vision will strengthen the organization’s ability to reach more children. Reaching out to spread the gift of mobility to children while using the magic of entertainment reminds us of the shared vision of the founding fathers of Variety and Hank Lightstone. Hank’s vision will inspire all of us to do our part to empower kids to all that they can be!
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 Other Newsletters online:
Summer 2009 |
Variety returned to its roots in the land of glitz and glamour at this
year’s 5th National Leadership Conference in Los Angeles.
