Wonderscope and Variety KC Partnership!

Inclusion in the Arts

CONGRATULATIONS to B&B Theatres and Variety on Winning the International Collaboration Award 2019

In 2018, the theatres took a proactive approached to raising funds for community kids that needed funding assistance for kids with special needs. B&B would donate a dollar from each Variety Kid Combo pack sold. The money would go to the chapter in each of the cities that Variety and B&B coexist.

The pre-show video was taped and it then ran before every movie showing at B&B’s 50 locations and visible on 400 screens daily. Not every city has a Variety location, but- B&B has raised over $20,250 for Variety!

What’s even more exciting – the promotion will be continuing! Not only is this a fundraiser for a variety of US Variety tents, it is a great branding promotion that directly targets families and kids. Collaboration begins when tents think about working together as an organization and doing what we can to include and share success with other chapters. Collaboration with out extra work or effort to not over load other chapters.

Collaboration with Kids at the Core!

We Can Play 2! – The International Innovation Award Winner

We Can Play 2! from Variety KC is a campaign to bring inclusive hockey and ice skating to Kansas City for the first time.

Until now, most Kansas City area kids with special needs could only participate in ice sports from the bleachers, but through adaptive sleds, helmets and equipment – “We Can Play 2!”

“We Can Play 2!” is the latest inclusive campaign from Variety KC , in an effort to ensure all children have the opportunity to Be Active, Be Social and Belong.

Like so many successful endeavors, this one started by a chance meeting. While attending an unrelated Variety event (Go Baby Go), a young father of a child with special needs approached Variety KC’s Executive Director and said he was so impressed with what Variety was doing and… “What can I do to help?”

It turns out the young father was the son-in-law of Lamar Hunt, Jr. Together they own the Missouri Mavericks hockey team. During a brainstorming “how can I help” meeting we began researching adaptive and inclusive hockey and skating opportunities, resources, and equipment. This will be a first for Kansas City and has added to our growing list of inclusive activities.

We decided to purchase adaptive “sleds” and helmets in a variety of sizes, along with other walker type equipment that can be used for “skating” by children with certain skill set.

Partnering with the Missouri Mavericks and supported by a matching grant from Lamar Hunt, Jr.’s Loretto Properties Foundation– Variety KC started fundraising in December and hit our goal to get kids on the ice.

Along the way we discovered professional hockey organizations and hockey related industries that offer grants and equipment to support such efforts, then found a warm reception from the local Parks and Recreation department who will take over the operation of the program once the equipment is secured, so sustainability is in place.

The Maverick’s home arena is the Silverstein Eye Care Arena in Independence, Missouri (a suburb of KC).

What started with a chance meeting and the simple question, “What can I do to help?” has turned into a life enhancing opportunity for so many local children and families.

Magic for Maddox

The phone rang late one afternoon at Variety KC. On the line was Nancy Truitt, mother of a growing Variety Child named, Maddox. Maddox has autism, Duchene’s, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. And what Maddox likes best is people. He likes to be included, be involved and to help. In fact, when Maddox outgrew his adaptive tricycle, it became very important to find smaller buddy who could use and enjoy it.

So, when Nancy called Variety, Executive Director, Deborah Wiebrecht, answered the phone and was greeted by a very excited mother. Had Deb ever heard of Carolina’s Carts? A grocery cart that would allow for caregivers to transport larger children and small adults throughout a store? Deb searched the web while Nancy continued to talk about how a cart like that would enhance Maddox’s life and the lives of other families as well. He could be safely included on trips to the store, make shopping decisions, and “help” his family with the shopping. He would no longer be left behind, yet again.

With a promise to look into it, Deb said goodbye to Nancy Truitt and immediately contacted Caroline’s carts. Gathering the basic information, she next dialed Nancy Pagel, a longtime Variety Board Member and Marketing Director of the Kansas City area HyVee food stores. Nancy Pagel immediately understood the potential and promised that she would call back. Less than an hour passed and Hy-Vee had committed to purchasing a Carolina’s cart for each of their 21 area stores.

Today you can walk into Hy-Vee and hear an announcement encouraging the use of the Variety KC Cart, and quite often you will catch a glimpse of the cart in use. Families say the carts are freeing, making a difficult trip much easier. And Maddox? His mother claims he is now a bit of a shopaholic.

Variety helps so many children and families with what seems to be an endless list of needs. We all know that not every need is granted this swiftly or smoothly. But on that day, the stars aligned, the right hearts were in the right places at the right time, and lives all over the city changed for the better.

And doesn’t that sound a bit like magic to you?