Rob Giardinelli
Annual Gathering Celebrates Milestone By Raising Seven Figures, Honoring The Nolan Ryan Foundation
By Rob Giardinelli Photography by Buster Jetter and Helping Hand Home For Children
THE SCENE: The JW Marriott in Austin was the setting for one of Austin’s most beloved and successful annual luncheons. A crowd of over a thousand of the Capital City’s most notable community leaders, sports enthusiasts, sociables, and philanthropists turned out for the 25th Annual Champions for Children Luncheon. Presented by Don Hewlett Chevrolet-Buick, the silver anniversary of the event benefited the Helping Hand Home for Children.
THE VIBE: The cocktail-chic crowd began the afternoon in the JW Marriott Ballroom Foyer, posing for photos on the step and repeat to commemorate the afternoon. Afterward, guests mingled with one another and the day’s honorees. Attendees then headed into the ballroom for the main program, where KXAN’s Jim Spencer served as emcee, keeping the program flowing at a brisk, fun pace.
As guests dined on their multi-course meals, they were treated to words from the event and organization’s leaders thanking them for their support of the event over the past 25 years. Former Helping Hand Home resident Karen Boeske was honored and shared her story of how she survived childhood abuse at an early age and credited Helping Hand Home for saving her life. Also, former Helping Hand President Susan Erickson, who founded the luncheon, was honored for her leadership, vision, and service to the organization.
Tania Leskovar-Owens
During the program, both Candlelight Ranch Founders Don Barr and Randy Barr were honored for their innovative programs and nature-based activities at their Hill Country location. Next, the Nolan Ryan Foundation was honored for their support to provide youth education and community development in the Central Texas area for the past 25 years, with Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan and his family coming to the stage to accept the award.
The afternoon was capped off with words from several guest speakers Karen Boeske, Marcus Reese, and featured speaker Kondo Simfukwe. Reese, founder of Break the Silence shared his take on surviving childhood abuse and how it motivated him to create Break the Silence to prevent others from meeting a similar fate. The afternoon concluded with by an inspiring speech by Simfukwe, who shared his remarkable education journey from elementary school through college on three continents, capping off a heartwarming, milestone afternoon for one of Austin’s most beloved events.
THE NON-PROFIT: The 25th Annual Champions for Children Luncheon, co-chaired by Bergan Casey, Buck Cody, and Lesley Pitts raised over $1 million for Helping Hand Home for Children. The event, founded in 2000, was set up to honor caregivers, advocates, and organizations for their support for children in need in Central Texas. Since its founding, the luncheon has raised over $10 million to provide direct services for children in need in the region.
