Last weekend our team had the pleasure of traveling to Phoenix for the 11th annual “Drive the Dream” gala for Childhelp, one of our longtime grant recipients.
Childhelp and the “Drive the Dream” Gala
This year’s theme for the gala was “Go for the Gold,” and, appropriately, we were joined by many Olympians from all over the country — including a few of our very own Champion Ambassadors! Esther Lofgren, Kathy Johnson-Clarke, and Crissy Perham all showed up in support of the fight to end child abuse — as they have many times before.
Childhelp has assisted over 9 million children escape abuse and recover from its emotional, mental, and physical effects. The evening’s keynote speaker was Patricia Boone, who shared her story from childhood of witnessing the murder of her younger brother and enduring other forms of abuse. After Childhelp stepped in, she was able to begin the long road to recovery from those incidents. Now she is working towards her Juris Doctorate at Northwestern University School of Law.
The event was an outstanding success! We were thrilled to learn that Childhelp raised over one million dollars! The evening was filled with generosity and the spirit to help the organization safeguard and treat even more youth.
Spirit of the Children Award
The evening was a special one for us, as our founding board members, David Ulich and Dr. Steven Ungerleider, were presented with Childhelp’s “Spirit of the Children Award.” This distinction recognizes the years of support and service to Childhelp that Mr. Ulich and Dr. Ungerleider have dedicated. In particular, the GSD-underwritten toolkit, “Speak Up, Be Safe for Young Athletes,” is a vital way to spread the message to youth — and their parents and coaches — about keeping sport free of abuse.
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