VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Platinum Sponsors

Bpc

GOLD SPONSORS

Captiva Marketing Central Bank

Gateway Studios and Production Services

John & Julie Whitaker

Linda Baker, In Honor of Hazel Meisinger

Painters Supply & Equipment Co.

Thomas Industrial Coatings

Veregy

Wilson’s Structural Steel

SILVER SPONSORS

Eaton Bussman

BRONZE SPONSORS

4 Boxers Promo

ASC, Gray Design, SSC, and Engenuity

Beam Suntory

Breakthru Beverage Missouri

Consumer Collection Management

Enterprise Rent a Car Footwear Unlimited

Gatewood Wealth Solutions

Incentive Concepts

Jost Builders LLC

Lockton Co.

Malisko Engineering Inc.

Moneta

Overhead Door of St. Louis

Royal Banks of Missouri

Villa Lighting

Kaye Roberts

THANK YOU TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE:

HONORARY CHAIR

Ryan O’Reilly

CO-CHAIRS

Rick Lommel

Bob Nuelle

Ryan Lommel

COMMITTEE

Matt Biffignani

Tony Godfrey

Blake Irwin

Randy Johnson

Drew Jones

Billy Klug

Matt Lamb

Eric Moyer

Philippe Royall

Tom Russo

Margie Sedlack

Mark Winschel

AUCTION COMMITTEE CHAIR

Kirsten Jones

AUCTION COMMITTEE

Jeff Bone

Leah Coady

Anna Godfrey

Anne Royall

Rick Unnerstall

Scott Vierling

How long have you been volunteering with Friends and how did you get involved?

A friend invited me to help with the Halloween events years ago at Bridlespur. I realized how much I missed being involved and joined as a volunteer in 2016. Currently I am on the Trivia Committee and I help with the lunch deliveries for the Munchie Meal Program at Mercy.

What does volunteering mean to you?

I love the opportunity to help with the kids any way I can. Going through a cancer diagnosis is overwhelming as an adult. I can only imagine what it would be like for a child. If I can help raise money, drop off lunch or work an event to make things a little better for the kids, I’m all in. My only regret is not having more hours in the day to dedicate more time to the kids!

What is your favorite Friends activity or event?

It’s hard to pick just one. Of course I love the Trivia Nights! Being on the committee is a lot of fun and I’ve met wonderful volunteers along the way. I see how dedicated everyone is at the Friends of Kids office to make the events possible and I love being a part of that any way I can. Their energy and enthusiasm is incredible!

Kaye is a Real Estate Agent, born and raised in St. Louis. She and her spouse, Frank, share 3 kids and 12 grandkids. This year, Kaye is celebrating 25 years as a breast cancer survivor.

Learn more about volunteering at friendsofkids.com/volunteer

PARENT’S NIGHT OUT MOMS AND DADS EVENTS

Friends of Kids with Cancer treats the whole family. That’s why Friends hosts events just for parents, as a way to foster community among individuals going through similar things, and as a reason to spend time in the company of other adults — things every parent needs. In preparation for Mother’s Day, Friends invited dads to create something nice for the mom in their life in honor of Mother’s Day. Whether for their partners or their own moms, these dads created beautiful arrangements with the help of friend Jeanne Carbone, Supervisor of Therapeutic Horticulture at Missouri Botanical Gardens. Jeanne provided all the materials and let the dads do their own arranging.

In March, Friends invited moms to Amy’s Cake Pop Shop and Boozy Bites for a lesson on making cake pops. Moms got to enjoy this tasty craft and each other’s company.

At each event, these parents looked to have a great time with one another while strengthening relationships within the pediatric cancer community. ▪

Family Garden Night At Mobot

This annual special outing among the flora invited patient families to enjoy MoBOT on a spring evening this April. About 200 guests were greeted with gift bags containing journals and fish food for the Japanese Garden and went on their way to enjoy the entire private garden grounds, including the Children’s Garden.

Families explored seeds and potted plants with Therapeutic Horticulturalists and took them home for their own gardens. It was a great way to get out of the often sterile hospital setting to spend a beautiful evening exploring the outdoors with fellow members of the St. Louis pediatric cancer community. ▪

Munchie Meals Every Week

Every week, Friends of Kids with Cancer deploys volunteers to deliver a full lunch to each treatment center for patients and families in treatment.

Mary Jotte, Munchie Meal coordinator since 2009, creates a schedule of volunteers to deliver lunches and empowers them to contact hospital partners to get the number of families currently admitted, order lunch for those families, pick up the order, and deliver the food to the hospitals.

Being in treatment “can be an all-day event, both emotionally and physically. Having something to eat for lunch is a godsend,” explains Jotte, who was a patient parent herself. ▪

150 Meals delivered to admitted patients & their families in hospitals by 27 volunteers in 2022.

Learn more about Munchie Meals at friendsofkids.com/munchiemeals