VARIETY WEEK | APRIL 22 nd -29 th , 2017
HELPAVARIETYKID.ORG
Variety is St. Louis’ best resource for kids with disabilities and their families. Variety focuses on four core areas to help kids reach their full potential: providing medical equipment, the therapy to use it, and developing unique educational and recreational programs. We change kid’s lives by improving skills, socialization, self-esteem and independence. For more information, visit www.varietystl.org.
JOSH’S STORY This year’s featured Variety Week kid is a 6-year-old named Josh. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Variety has been able to provide Josh with a power wheelchair, a manual wheelchair, a positioning stroller, a stander, a bath lift, a therapeutic bike, and 2 walkers. Plus, Josh had the opportunity to model during last year’s Runway Lights Fashion Show, and will be on stage at this year’s Dinner with the Stars gala. On top of all that, this summer, Josh will take part in Variety’s Adventure Camp for the very first time. But there’s one thing Josh has that we couldn’t provide; and it may be the most important tool he has in dealing with his cerebral palsy: his smile.
It’s a smile we’ve witnessed as he made his way to school, as he climbed through a tunnel at therapy, as he played wheelchair soccer, as he sang along to Katy Perry’s “Roar” in the family van, as he pretended to be bears with his brother, and as he enjoyed cinnamon melts at McDonald’s. It’s a smile his parents say is ever present, and is indicative of how he treats every challenge he faces. It’s there to tell everyone he meets that he has resilience, empathy, and a great disposition. It immediately lets people know that, despite what they might think, his life is one of happiness and success. And, perhaps most importantly, Josh’s smile represents how bright his future is.
Helping Josh, and all the other Variety kids achieve every milestone moment possible, through medical equipment, therapy, education, and recreation is Variety’s reason for being. But we can’t do any of it without your support. And we can’t thank you enough.
RUNWAY LIGHTS FASHION SHOW APRIL 22nd
As always, Variety Week kicks off in glamorous fashion with the Runway Lights Fashion Show. This year’s show, at Union Station, features the stylish designs of St. John, an upscale American fashion brand specializing in women’s knitwear since 1962. The task of mixing fashion’s glamor with Variety’s mission is handled expertly by honorary chair Thelma Steward, with the assistance of co-chairs Kimberly and Mary Steward, and sales chair Kelly Gross. They all look forward to seeing you on April 22nd. WITH SUPPORT FROM
VARIETY IN THE MORNING APRIL 25th
From 7-9 am on Tuesday, April 25, “FOX2 News in the Morning” gives way to “Variety in the Morning,” with Variety kids on set, in the field, and on air, bringing you their one-of-a-kind take on the morning’s news, weather, and traffic.
MAJOR PARTNERS
IMO’S FOR KIDS DAY APRIL 26th
On Wednesday of Variety Week, Imo’s pizza donates 10-20% of each store’s sales to help Variety kids. That makes April 26th the perfect day for an office pizza party, a pizza birthday party, or a family pizza night. Through the years, your love of Imo’s and Imo’s love of Variety kids has raised more than $2 million on this special day. How much will we add this year? We’re hungry to find out. Aren’t you?
DINNER WITH THE STARS APRIL 29th
The glittering finale to Variety Week is headlined this year by legendary singer/songwriter James Taylor, and a special appearance by comedian, actor and St. Louis native, Joe Torry. Marilyn Fox returns as chair for the 21st consecutive year. And we’ll honor this year’s Variety Man and Woman of the Year (Warner Baxter and Carol Voss). Thanks to generous underwriting from World Wide Technology, Centene Charitable Foundation, and Steward Family Foundation, all proceeds from the night go straight to helping Variety kids achieve milestone moments.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS THE ONES
WHO CARE
MILESTONE
Keira’s very first time on the ice.
Cameron makes a new friend.
When you give to Variety, any milestone moment is possible.
MOMENTS
Ryan’s first time on the big screen.
Madi is crowned for first, but definitely not last, time.
Make a donation at helpavarietykid.org
cise and play. And she’s spoken of the consequences of living in poverty, how a local study suggests that half of low-income mothers suffer from depression — and how “toxic stress” contributes to preterm labor. A recent study commissioned by Generate Health found disturbing racial trends within infant mortality. African-American babies are three times as likely to die as white babies in St. Louis. Black women in Missouri are nearly 50 percent more likely to have a preterm baby than any other group, regardless of socioeconomic status. The study further found the majority of the region’s infant deaths occurred in the first month of life and correlated with significant incidents of high blood pressure among AfAfrican-American mothers during pregnancy, nearly tripling their risk for babies with lower birth weights. And yet despite these pregpreg nancy risks, more than a fifth of black mothers received inadinad equate prenatal care compared to just 5 percent of white mothmoth ers. Black mothers were 137 perper cent more likely to lose a baby in the first month of life than white
needs of mothers and children in vulnerable neighborhoods. The next step is for volunteers and community agencies to join forces on five initiatives to lessen infant mortality.
A CALL TO ACT Last week, at an event at New Northside Missionary Baptist Church’s conference center on Goodfellow Boulevard, Flourish unveiled a call to action. At the end of the meeting about 100 atat tendees locked arms in a circle and pledged to help solve these issues and recruit others. Among the initiatives is a fufu ture public information camcam paign promoting infant safesleep practices among AfricanAmerican families, in part, bebe cause Generate Health’s study found black infants in the region are four times more likely than white babies to succumb to sudsudden unexpected infant death. In the past three years alone, 48 babies in St. Louis died under these circumstances. Eight out of 10 of those deaths were caused by unsafe sleep conditions, which included sleeping with a baby in a bed. “It’s very good it’s getting the attention it needs,” said Lori Behrens, executive director of
BRACING FOR CHANGE Nicollette Mayo lost her daughter Jaz’myn at 7 weeks when her healthy daughter stopped breathing while napping. It happened during Mayo’s first day back at work, and though the mom wanted to stay home longer with her daughter, she had no paid maternity leave. In the aftermath, she fell into a deep depression and stopped working “I have met so many mothers during this process who have lost children, and I just think it’s horrible. Anything we can do from giving out fliers to training on safe sleep would be great,” said Mayo, who attended last week’s meeting. Flourish announced its action plan amid uncertainty over re resources. Two years ago the fed federal government cut funding for Generate Health’s Healthy Start program which sent nurses into homes of moms with children up to age 2 — a program that had been supported by $7.1 million in federal funding. At this point, there are no plans to reinstate that program locally. Generate Health is also bracing for anticipated policy changes in the Donald Trump presidency. Officials worry about Medicaid coverage and access shrinking,
but one of them were public officials or police. Seven were arrested Monday. Charging documents accuse one of accepting a bribe to reduce taxes on a piece of property. Others are accused of forgery, voting irregulari irregularities and official misconduct charges. St. Clair County State’s At Attorney Brendan Kelly said it represented “an old and cynical way of thinking.” At a news conference Mon Monday with state and federal offi officials, Kelly questioned whether some governmental bodies have outlived their usefulness and said that he believes that the cases “do send a message.” Charged were: • St. Clair County Board of Review member Michael P. Crockett Jr., 55, of Millstadt. He was charged with bribery and failure to report a bribe for acaccepting cash to reduce taxes on two commercial properties on Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia. He was also charged with offiofficial misconduct and forgery for falsifying an assessment of that property. • June Hamilton Dean, 53, an East St. Louis city councilwoman and East St. Louis
was revoked when she was in a mental institution. • Former Alorton Mayor Jo A. Reed, 58, was charged with vote buying. Prosecutors also said she was soliciting votes within 100 feet of a polling place, a misdemeanor. • RaeShaunta S. Lacy, 45, of Swansea, was charged with forgery. Prosecutors say she de livered a false document about her employment status. Her first name is listed in charging documents as Raesha. • East St. Louis Township trustee Edith R. Moore, 68, of East St. Louis. She was charged with forgery of an email and prevention of voting. Prosecu tors say that she prevented an other person from voting. • U.S. Postal Service employee Christopher E. Malone, 41, of Swansea. He was charged with theft of government property. Prosecutors say he stole prop erty worth less than $500. The prosecutors would not discuss the evidence in their cases. The investigation of the most recent cases in so-called “Op eration: Watchtower” began in April and involved the state police, the IRS, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,
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