 |
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Hooray for Hollywood! Actually, Hooray to everyone who came to Hollywood, and all the Tents who shared information, and all the Tents who participated and are now making plans to expand and improve upon what they do best - raising funds and supporting children in need! This issue is dedicated to the "great" sharing and learning and growth that took place at the Variety International 2010 World Conference.
Sincerely,
Michael Huffman
Director of Development & Communications
Variety International
|
|
|
|
| 2010 VARIETY WORLD CONFERENCE |
|
Considering what we all do as a part of Variety International, we know that events and great deeds just don't happen. There is lots of thought and planning, and preparation that go on to set the agenda and plan an event that will speak to the heart of the target audience. With that said, the Board of Variety International worked vigorously to set an agenda to inspire and promote and further the Variety cause. According to Jack Cannons, National Chairman Variety Australia and Vice President Variety International, "we wanted the conference to be a great place of learning and to provide educational opportunities, for interaction and an opportunity for all Tent Members, VI Board Members and Delegates to meet and to learn from each other." Based on feedback from those in attendance, the conference was well received and people were engaged and energized heading back to their home areas to implement ideas, inspect mission statements and strategies, and to improve their Tents with information learned from the Conference, and specifically from other Tents.
Thanks for all the great feedback from those who completed the survey, both positive and constructive. We'll work on the constructive suggestions, but here's some of the feedback:
© Overall great and loved the addition of young variety
© Great Communications before and after the conference.
© Looking forward to providing some help for the Chicago convention! - we of course loved this one!
© As a staff member, it was an incredibly useful experience - more of the operations stuff please - great for idea sharing.
© I have been to several VI Conventions, and the feedback I got from people who went from tent xx, say this was the best one they've been too. I can't wait for Chicago!
© Entire conference was one of the best ever. Productive with lots of learning, well organized and no matter how hard it was to pull off, the attendees did not see any issues. Thank you for that.
© Very positive and most of all transparency between international and the tents.
© I must say that the conference was very well organized and things ran smoothly, one suggestion is we have working lunches especially with the breakout sessions, so as not to break the thought trends.
© Operations meetings were great as were tent presentations.
The Conference was a celebration of successes and a sharing of ideas! In addition to the great ideas and presentations shared at the convention, there were some impressive statistics to show that the meeting agenda was on topic and headed in the right direction for those who invest in their attendance.
© 230 full-registrants (and that does not include just the party-goers)
© 34 of 43 Tents represented
© 20 Chief Barkers in attendance at the Chief Barkers meeting; in 2009 there were 2
© 140+ Delegates in attendance at the Operations meeting; in 2009 there were 47
© Breakout meeting rooms were full to capacity with standing room only in some of the meetings
© When responding positively with regards to whether they would attend the next World Conference in Chicago, Illinois, 69% said they'd have 3 or more people attending, with many of those respondents saying they would bring more than 11 people Wow! We're excited for Chicago!
These numbers are not taken lightly. There was diligent effort put into planning a conference that met the needs of those in attendance. Thank you to everyone who helped, encouraged, provided input, provided feedback from past conferences, and to those who stepped up and attended! Success comes from making the most of opportunities given to you. Our event was filled with "opportunities" that we hope lead to success for all!
All presentations (click previous link) have been made available post Conference and continued sharing has been encouraged. We have already heard great stories of actions and activities being planned from inspiration at the Conference. Thank you for that fabulous news - and for being inspired!
THANK YOU TOM FENNO!
With all of the positive outcomes and feedback from this year's Variety World Conference in Hollywood - we would be remiss in not recognizing the Conference Chairman, Variety International Vice President, Tom Fenno.
Tom volunteered tirelessly behind the scenes for twelve months during the planning of the 2010 World Conference. This incredibly successful program would not have been made possible without the time, dedication, compassion and energy of Tom Fenno.
Tom knows just how hard it can be to chair and run a successful conference, as he was a chairman of the Variety World Conference in 1964!
Hats off to you, Tom! Many thanks!
|
| POST CONFERENCE ACTION |
We heard a few great stories almost immediately following the conference that we wanted to share. As noted, the goal of the conference was to share, educate and inspire. Well, we love the signs that the mission was achieved and the flurry of activity and plans being put into place.
HO, HO, HO
 Sounds like there will be a lot of Santas this December and perhaps even more in 2011! Thanks to the great presentation by David Small of Tent 56 who told about a great fundraiser and friendraiser last December in Australia. While the idea started in one Tent, the idea spread like wild fire (or perhaps reindeer) across Australia to three Tents: New South Wales (Tent 56), South Australia (Tent 75) and Victoria (Tent 77) to create a national presence. And thanks to the great sharing, there are currently 6-7 Tents in the US who are planning on implementing the idea this year, and based on the reaction among the conference audience, we believe there are probably even more Tents in the planning stages. See the great ideas and an outline of the planning process in the Santa Run presentation.
|
| A CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL VARIETY TENTS |
An exciting idea was born at the 2010 conference in the US Association meeting, and others have already signed up to make this an international mission. December 3rd is the United Nations Day for Persons with Disabilities. So Variety Tents are stepping up to symbolically give away a piece of mobility equipment to a child in need. Please commit to be involved so that we can promote Variety Tents worldwide adopting this special day and initiative. US and Australia Tents are getting involved... Will you? Let us know who's on board by emailing us at evariety@varietyinternational.org. The more participation the more we can do to promote this!
Here's the info found online, although it's dated... http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=109.
|
| VARIETY IN HAITI |
 On Sunday, May 23, at the Variety World Conference in Hollywood, the audience heard an update on post-earthquake progress in Haiti as Variety kicked off our new Medical Mission program with a "Variety International Children's Fund Luncheon". Dr. Ben Fredrick, Global Health Center Director, Penn State University College of Medicine, provided a presentation of the Variety Haiti project. In addition to a new on-going 5 year Variety project in Pestel, Haiti focusing on child nutrition, Dr. Fredrick thanked Variety for its response to the tragic Haiti earthquake. The initial funds committed by Variety enabled a medical response team  from Penn State to obtain the necessary travel immunizations and purchase tetanus shots for the Haiti patients requiring surgeries. Because Variety already had a project underway in Haiti, it facilitated a quick response for Dr. Fredrick and his medical colleagues at Penn State and enabled them to collaborate with two on-the-ground organizations in Port Au Prince, Operation Smile and the renowned Partners in Health.
In addition to the funds raised post earthquake, at the luncheon two Variety Tents presented checks  to Dr. Fredrick for funds they raised specific to the Haiti Disaster. Young Variety of Ireland, Tent 41, presented a check for a $1,000 from their very first group event, and Young Variety of Kansas City, Tent 8 donated $2,670 of the proceeds from their "Runway to the Rescue" fashion show. A special thanks to our Young Variety teams.
On top of that, following Dr. Fredrick's presentation, Stan Reynolds raised pledges from the delegates in excess of $260,000 for the benefit of Variety's new global children's program. President Julia Morley and Past President, Grahame Mapp recognized Variety's newly established Committee members who will oversee this new program.
Please watch for a special edition of the Variety e-newsletter that will introduce the bigger picture Variety Haiti project that will be sustained for years to come.
|
| GOLDEN HEARTS RECEIVE HEART AWARDS |
43 tents were nominated from 13 countries. That list was narrowed down to 10 who all gave presentations to the board and attendees of the conference. And on Friday evening of the Variety Worldwide Conference, there were three proud recipients of the William R. Forman Gold, Silver and Bronze Heart Award.
The 10 finalists included: Tent 4 St Louis, Tent 14 Wisconsin, Tent 15 Iowa, Tent 17 Texas, Tent 25 Southern California, Tent 51 Israel, Tent 56 New South Wales, Tent 68 New Zealand, Tent 74 Western Australia, Tent 82 Northern Territory (Australia).
The Gold Heart Award each year goes to the Tent which has demonstrated the most outstanding collective efforts and contributions for community welfare in accordance with the aims and objectives of Variety International. The prime criterion for selecting the Tent to receive the Gold Heart Award is not necessarily how much money it raised or spent during the year, thus assuring every Tent, big or small, an equal opportunity to receive the coveted award. The Silver Heart Award is for the second most outstanding charitable program, and Bronze the third. Thanks to the William R. Forman Heart Awards Endowment, these awards come with a charitable grant of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively. While all the stories were amazing, inspired ideas that made everyone proud, the winners were:
© Gold Tent 51 Israel
© Silver Tent 17 Texas
© Bronze Tent 4 St. Louis
When asked about the awards, excitement and pride were apparent. Here's just some of the excitement in their own words:
From Ory Slonim of Variety Israel, Tent 51
 The Gold Heart Award of Variety Israel made a huge excitement in our whole country, and also in the Israeli community in LA. It was covered in Israel in Newspapers, on TV and on the Radio news. It was also covered in Los Angeles Israeli Magazine, with our picture being granted the award from Julia Morley at our conference. We will celebrate it with our kids and friends in our next kids event which will take place in the Israeli-Canadian Tennis Center, with international players and many fans and friends. The monetary award will be used for our Jerusalem Center which deals every week with thousands of kids in need - Jews, Muslims and Christians from the Jerusalem area. It is a great inspiration for all of us, and for all other charities and friends who deal with kids in need in Israel.
From Lance Hood of Variety Texas, Tent 17
We were ecstatic to win the award. We never thought a Tent our size could win, so we were shocked and amazed, yet thrilled that our work was being recognized as we work diligently to rebuild our Tent. We've really changed our ways and seen great growth and a solid foundation being laid during the past four years, so we're thrilled that our efforts were acknowledged and rewarded.
From Jan Albus of Variety St Louis, Tent 4
When we heard we were nominated for the award in 2010 we were thrilled! Winning the award is very exciting and such a validation of all the hard work. We're inspired by our work on a daily basis, and the recognition only enhances that. The award is definitely gratification that we're doing a good job, although our true inspiration comes from the children we serve. We celebrated on June 15th at our full board meeting (we have 50 directors) and we will be celebrating again in November during the Champions for Children Summit and again at Variety Week in April. We are using the award money for our Variety Children's Theatre project. This year's production will be Oct. 14-17, and will be a performance of the Charles Dickens classic "OLIVER!" Thank you for the added support!
|
| NOT ONE AWARD, BUT THREE! |
 At this year's World Conference Variety International continued the tradition of honoring Tents and their media partners for truly partnering and making an impact. It's not just about publicity - it's about working together to help handicapped and disadvantaged children, and to make the cause known. For the first time ever, one Tent won three Media Awards. Variety of Buffalo and Western New York celebrated with their media partners for Television, Radio and Print: WKBW-TV Channel 7, WEDG-FM 103.3 and Metro Group Inc weekly newspaper respectively. On June 23rd following the conference, the Variety team appeared on AM Buffalo to publicly recognize all three partners and gain even more publicity and awareness.
 Publicity for Variety's work on behalf of children is invaluable: it increases awareness of a Variety Tent's impact on the children in its community as well as helps raise the needed funds enabling a Tent to reach more kids in need. Buffalo's finest have been in full support of Variety. The teamwork and support that exists between the Variety team in Buffalo and these news outlets is outstanding. All three media outlets help with fundraising, drive awareness of Variety events and good deeds, sponsor special events, and their people often serve as volunteers. WKBW-TV hosts the Variety of Buffalo and Western NY Variety Kids Telethon which just celebrated its 48th consecutive  year, the longest running local telethon in the world. At WEDG-FM, Shredd & Ragan were called out in the Media nomination as radio personalities who are constantly giving and helping to promote Variety. Metro Group, Inc. was recognized for their unwavering dedication to Variety through the wide circulation of their household newspaper and their willingness to promote and cover and support all that Variety does.
Congratulations to everyone on the Variety of Buffalo and Western New York team and to all those from Tents around the world who get the Variety message out there... and most importantly who get the children's stories out there.
|
| VARIETY EVENTS |
We're amazed at the great events going on and the ideas that have been developed based on sharing between Tents. As you all tell us, it takes a team; so congratulations to all the Variety teams for such great events.
It's golf season! Variety of Wisconsin, Tent 14 held their Spring Golf Classic on May 12th. Variety of Colorado, Tent 37 held its 25th Annual Golf Tournament on June 8th. Variety of Pittsburg, Tent 1 hosted its 25th Annual Golf Tournament on June 14th. And Variety of Manitoba, Tent 58 hosted their 13th Annual Variety SUBWAY Golf Tournament at Niakwa Country Club on June 14th. Fun and fundraising were par for the course.
Young Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 held a Makeover Day where 19 girls with down syndrome were treated to a day of beauty and pampering. Do we have to say there were smiles and giggles galore? What a great idea.
Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 is in radiothon mode with multiple radiothons taking place around the region. So far the 6th Annual Kelowna Radiothon on Power 104FM raised $27.4K, the Vernon radiothon raised $37.8K and the 6th annual Prince George radiothon on Wolf 97FM raised over $45K.
Young Variety of Kansas City, Tent 8 hosted a successful Dance for Kids event on May 22nd at the fabulous Midland Theatre. Adam Freeland, a world-renowned DJ from the UK, along with seven local DJs including Young Variety member Eric Coomes, performed for more than 300 Young Variety Supporters. Dancing, listening to music and having fun was only made better by the fact that it helped kids in the Kansas City community. Click to see their promotional video.
Variety of Western Australia, Tent 74 had an impressive list of events and grants given out in  May and June. Their intrepid 4WD adventurers recently returned from the 2010 Coleman Variety WA Challenge, which was held from May 22-28. Travelling through the East Kimberley, this eight day expedition saw almost 70 participants and volunteer officials enjoy some spectacular sights. Click the link above to their web site for some great pictures. The mud had barely been washed away before it was all hands on deck for the third annual Variety Quiz Night, presented by corporate sponsor Retravision. More than $93K was raised in this corporate battle of wits, with guests enjoying a fantastic night of brain teasing, friendly competition, food, drink and dancing! Retravision store owners and suppliers rallied behind the Quiz Night once again to donate an incredible range of silent auction items and prizes, with plenty of fierce bidding on the night. And thanks to the continuous fundraising efforts, in May and June alone, Variety WA granted $219K worth of equipment, programs and experiences enabling WA kids in need to live, laugh and dream. Additionally the WA team was proud to fund two double bedrooms in the new Paediatric Wing of the Peel Health Campus, which was officially opened on 18 June. And, the Broome Waterpark was officially opened, featuring a $100,000 grant from Variety WA to fund components of the universally accessible children's play area. It's tough to summarize this team's work!
Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 held their Heart Award Dinner [hyperlink to http://www.variety.bc.ca/heartawards.htm] on June 9th at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC to celebrate and honor the people who work so hard to build a better future for children in British Columbia. Will Webster, who has been a member of Tent 47 and Tent 28 in Ontario and who has made an impact worldwide throughout Variety in many roles dating back to 1974, was honored. And as if the BC team members weren't exhausted from that undertaking they splashed into their 12th Annual Boat for Hope event on June 12th for over 450 kids and their families (900 guests in all) at beautiful Royal Vancouver Yacht Club treating kids to a day of boating and festivities. The skippers, dressed as pirates, escorted the families out to their awaiting "pirate ships" for an exciting adventure on the high seas. The Vancouver Firefighters were on hand to lend their brawn to get all the pirates, wheelchairs and all on-board - excitement in and of itself. And then, on June 27th, the BC team hosted Food Fight - The Battle for Brunch where BC's finest chefs battled it out for the foodies' taste buds at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
Variety of Texas, Tent 17 kicked off "A Car for Caden" campaign to rasie funds for a five year old boy with a traumatic brain injury. The family needs an adaptive car to transport Caden to doctors appointments, therapy sessions, and more. While this cute little boy may not be local to you and your Tent, you still might want to check out their campaign, the different areas of fundraising, and their eBay auction items. Come on, you must know someone who would be interested in an Avatar gift basket, signed Toby Keith or Kenny Chesney posters, and more. Check it out and support the cause!
$1 Movies at AMC Theatres benefit Variety US.
Throughout the US AMC Theatres kicked-off the AMC Summer Movie Camp on June 15th. Each Tuesday morning at 10 am this summer, 214 participating AMC Theatres will have a special G-rated movie for just $1. All proceeds will benefit Variety US Tents and the Will Rogers Institute. See a list of participating theatres or search by zip code to get tickets. Tickets for each week will be on sale approximately one week prior to the scheduled show date. Spread the word!
Variety of Ireland, Tent 41 set to the high seas on June 27th for their Boat of Hope event (they credit Tent 47 of British Columbia for the idea presented at a previous World Conference.) 100 special needs children, accompanied by parents and siblings - 300 in total, set out on their "pirate ships" around Dublin Bay. The children were equipped with swords, eye-patches and large water shooters. Each child received a 'treasure  chest' and returned triumphant, to enjoy a BBQ and a fun day with Disco music, two local bands, choir, clowns, facepainting, games, and ice cream. The excitement of the children could not be contained and the Variety team is already looking forward to next year. Additionally, we have a picture from the World Conference of Young Variety of Ireland presenting a check for $1000 to Dr. Fredrick for the Haiti fund.
 Variety of Northern California, Tent 32 hosted their 2nd Gatsby Ball at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 30th. It was a fantastic evening of dancing, refreshments, a silent auction, and a period costume contest. While stats are not in yet on final attendance and money raised, word has it the evening was quite a success and a fun evening was had by all. We hear the band Pride & Joy had everyone up dancing and that attendees were in full "Gatsby" regalia. The grand prize in the evening's raffle was a "design your own trip" package including airfare, hotel accommodations and dinner to the destination of the winner's choice. Congratulations to the 100% volunteer board for pulling this event off in high fashion!
Variety of Greater Kansas City, Tent 8 hosted their first annual Variety Bike Bonanza in partnership with Hyvee. The Kansas City team was at five area HyVees from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 10th collecting gently used and operational bikes, while HyVee team members grilled lunch for donations to purchase new bikes for children with needs in Kansas City. The Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders were there to help inspire donations.
Did your Tent do something great that should have been included here? Make sure to send us information to share in our international newsletter. Our intent is to congratulate, honor and inspire others with your great ideas! Share with us at evariety@varietyinternational.org.
|
| UPCOMING EVENTS |
July 14-15 Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 2nd Annual Courtenay & Campbell River Radiothon on 97.3 The Eagle.
July 23-25 Variety of Western Australia, Tent 74 2010 TripleP 4WD Getaway - a 3 day 4WD adventure / fundraiser.
July 24 Jr Variety of Southern California, Tent 25 hosts Dodger Day sending 200 disadvantaged children from the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Boyle Heights to support the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the New York Mets. For many of the children it will be their first professional baseball game.
July 26 Variety of Wisconsin, Tent 14 Variety Kids Bike Event - an opportunity for children with physical disabilities to try out adaptive bicycles.
July 28 Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 Buy-Low Golf Tournament at Surrey's Northview Gold Centre.
August Variety of Wisconsin, Tent 14 Variety Kids Day at Bristol Renaissance Faire - rumor has it there's a pig race included.
August 4 Variety of Illinois, Tent 26 hosts their Annual Golf Event and Awards Dinner at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Illinois.
Aug 16 Variety of Manitoba, Tent 58 will hold their inaugural Travis Price Classic Golf Tournament - organized by friends of Travis Price who died during a high school hockey game of a heart attack.
Aug 21 Variety of Great Britain, Tent 36 will host their summer fixture "Variety Club Day at Sandown Park". This unique event has been attracting race-goers for more than half a century. Guests are guaranteed a superb afternoon in the company of many famous faces while sipping champagne and enjoying the top-class racing.
Aug 28 Variety of Western Australia, Tent 74 will kick-off its annual BASH from August 28-September 4. Stay off the roads!
Aug 31 Variety of Manitoba, Tent 58 will host their Hearts of Blue & Gold Dinner at Earls St. Vital - Guests have a chance to meet and share dinner with members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Club.
Sept 8-9 Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 3rd Annual Nanaimo Radiothon on The Wave.
Sept 9 Variety of Wisconsin, Tent 14 Saz's Golf Outing
Sept 11 Variety of Wisconsin, Tent 14 Variety Kids Fishing Has No Boundaries - a day of fishing on Lake Michigan for special needs children and disabled veterans.
Sept 15-16 Variety of British Columbia, Tent 47 8th Annual Kamloops Radiothon on B100FM.
Sept 11 Variety of Ireland, Tent 41will have a ball in Sept and present their Humanitarian Award to Julia Morley "for the fantastic work she does for Variety in all parts of the world." The event will take place at the D4 Hotel Dublin (formerly Berkley Court Hotel). If anyone would like to attend, they should contact Kevin Wall at jkwall@ieircom.netas soon as possible. A limited number of rooms are available at a special price. Also contact Kevin by August 20th if you would like to secure a page advertisement to pay tribute to Julia in their Souvenir Brochure.
Sept 11 Variety of Texas, Tent 17 will be at the Texas Rangers Ameriquest Field in Arlington Texas with over 200 children and their families to see the Rangers in action against the New York Yankees. This big event follows a big night for a Variety disabled child who got to throw out the first pitch on July 8th in his new adaptive wheelchair. A very exciting night whether you're the one or the 200!
|
| VARIETY - MAKING A DIFFERENCE |
|
Each newsletter, in the "Variety Making A Difference" section we highlight a great story about the kids being helped.
2010 Variety International Scholarship
For anyone who missed the touching Variety International Scholarship presentation at the World Conference, it was a beautiful moment of Variety at work helping to make a "child's" dream come true. Elizabeth Torres who spent her youth at the Variety Boys & Girls Club and now volunteers her time there, was awarded a $10K scholarship to help with college tuition and expenses. Elizabeth says she's come a long way from the day she first jumped into the Variety Boys & Girls Club pool only to be saved by a lifeguard. She not only learned to swim there; she is now an LA County lifeguard who was ironically certified on the same day she received the Variety scholarship. Elizabeth, who makes Variety and her parents proud is a giving, caring, smart young adult who appreciates the support she received as a child and is already giving back. In Elizabeth's essay in her application she noted that her goal is to be an architect and she'd like to build community centers to help more children. She notes that she had a great support system growing up, but that not every child has that critical element. She wants everyone to be able to experience the love and support that Variety showed her.
Elizabeth has won a number of scholarships, from Scholar Athlete, to Excellence in Education, and more that she says will help defray the cost of school. She starts at Wellsley College in Massachusetts on August 30th; a great new adventure that Elizabeth says will prepare her to give back and support others. Interestingly, the college she has chosen has a motto in line with Elizabeth's thinking: "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister" and a logo on their home page which reads: "Wellesley College provides an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world." We hope to see Elizabeth on their "Notable Alumnae" page some day!
What a great perspective on life! Our congratulations go out to Elizabeth, her family, and all those who touched her life through the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles.
*****************
In Kansas City, Tent 8: The Hope family was the recent recipient of a wheelchair-accessible van! The vehicle was generously donated by the Independence School District, while Variety the Children's Charity and Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri provided the chair lift. The Hopes are a fantastic family of eight, with adopted, special needs children. They all wanted to safely fit in one vehicle together, and Variety and its partner organizations have made this possible. See a You tube video for this special story.
*****************
 Variety of Texas, Tent 17 recently presented a mother and her four year old son Guillermo with an adaptive communication device. The device is built off of the process of a child using photo cards to communicate their needs and desires (i.e. pointing to a card with a glass of water for a drink).
The device will be used by the family both at home and during his therapy programs as he builds his vocabulary and begins to communicate his needs anddesires.
The device came from Enabling Devices, just as a potential resource for other Tents.
|
| VARIETY SPOTLIGHT: Barbara Hislop |
A Woman of Distinction
Barbara Hislop, Executive Director Variety BC, Tent 47 recently received the 27th Women of Distinction Award from the YWCA in the Business & the Professions category. At a sell-out dinner and award ceremony June 1 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, Barbara sat as a finalist  surrounded by family including her parents, husband and close friends and colleagues who were confident that she would win the honor.
Barbara is an award-winning senior executive and community leader who has led a life of excellence. At Canfor, a leading forest products company, Barbara became the first female officer and the first female Vice President of Operations leading thousands of employees and managing revenues of 2 billion dollars annually. Barbara has chaired numerous committees and boards, volunteered actively in her community and mentored countless young women in business. But it's her dedication to Variety and children in need that we of course all love. Barbie has served as executive director of Variety since December 2006. She now directs her talents to benefiting children who have  special needs in BC. Barbara's strong business background has led to the development of a new strategic direction, enabling Variety BC to increase revenue and therefore increase the number of annual grants disbursed, from 800 to over 1,300 in the last two years.
According to Carla Jones, Director of Marketing and Communications for Tent 47: "While very modest, Barbie's dedication and leadership is an inspiration to all of those involved with Variety. We were thrilled to see someone so deserving receive this kind of recognition. As an organization we are managing to help more children than ever before. Members, staff and volunteers were all very supportive of her nomination and extremely proud of her win."
Congratulations Barbara! Never has success felt better than when helping the kids! Thank you for all you do. And all you inspire!
|
| REMEMBER WHEN |
|
After just celebrating a new group of honorees at our 2010 Variety World Conference, here's a look back at the Humanitarian Award presentation from 1979.
L to R: Cary Grant, Barbara Sinatra, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, Joan Mrlik
The "Remember When" section of our newsletter will share a fond memory from our past in each issue of E-Variety.
Discover any images or stories from our past you would like to be included? Be sure to email them to evariety@varietyinternational.org.
|
|
|
|
|
We know this was a long one, but there was soooo much news to share. Thank you to everyone who attended the Variety World Conference, who participates in planning meetings, and who shares their news with all of us. It takes everyone's participation, and this is a great team! For those who were unable to attend, we hope we've shared enough information in this newsletter and in all our other post-conference emails and access to presentations and pictures to make you mark your calendars for next year.
Get ready for Variety World Conference 2011 in Chicago!
Continue to bring joy and comfort to the hearts of children. And thank you for being a part of Variety, the Children's Charity!.
Sincerely,
Michael Huffman
Director of Development and Communications
Variety International
© 2010 Variety International. All rights reserved.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
