Dear Friends of Variety,
I am so excited to join
Variety as president of the board and introduce myself to you, our
supporters. In many ways, I already feel as if I am part of the Variety
family. You may be wondering why I would accept the challenge to lead
this organization, on top of my family, work and community commitments.
The answer is simple – these children and their families are my heroes.
I have long been a supporter and admirer of Variety and its work in the
community. I originally have my wife, Thelma, to thank for bringing me
into the Variety fold. A board member for many years, Thelma’s love for
Variety and these special kids, especially the Children’s Chorus, is
infectious! In 2006, I was honored to be selected as Variety’s Man of
the Year. In that role, I took time to meet Variety children, their
families and the hard-working staff. I was impressed by their positive
attitudes, perseverance and the grace with which they lead their
everyday lives. My hat is off to all of them, especially to the parents
and families, who handle more than most of us can imagine and treasure
every moment with these special children.
After seeing, first-hand, the impact that Variety has on the children
in our community, I am honored to assume my role as president in 2009.
We all know that Americans are facing serious economic times, which
means Variety supporters have to work even harder to make sure that
children with disabilities don’t fall through the cracks in our
society. I am up to the task.
Annually, Variety programs serve 20,000 deserving children who are most
in need, and the need is growing. More children with disabilities, like
spina bifada, Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy, are born each
day and need help from our community to become the most productive,
independent adults they can be. Variety must grow as the community
grows. As someone who started a business from scratch and developed
World Wide Technology into one of the largest employers in St. Louis, I
know about growth and its requirements. And as President of Variety’s
Board of Directors, I will draw upon my skills and faith in God to help
St. Louis children with disabilities reach their full potential.
Sincerely,
David Steward
President, Variety Board of Directors
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