Thank you for joining us to celebrate our 2025 Champions for Children!
Your energy, warmth, and generosity made this year’s event a powerful reminder of what’s possible when our community comes together for children and families.
A special thank you to Senator T’wina Nobles for grounding the evening with her heartfelt reflections on what it means to be a Champion. Her words set the perfect tone for an evening rooted in celebration and abundance.
We’re also deeply grateful to Maya Washington and Elvin Bucu, our wonderful emcees, for guiding the program with warmth and humor.
🎟 You Brought The Diapers! 🎟
Together, we collected over 1,300 diapers through the Diaper Raffle! Your incredible generosity gives a boost to our upcoming Double Diaper December campaign, ensuring we can reach even more families during the holidays and into the new year.
Meet Our 2025 Award Recipients!
Congratulations once again to our 2025 Champions for Children, whose leadership and compassion continue to inspire us all!
A Night to Remember!
A heartfelt thank you to the SL Cultura Project for starting the evening off right with their vibrant youth Ballet Folklórico performance — a joyful celebration of Mexican folk dance that set a beautiful, energetic tone for the night.
We want to express our deep gratitude to our local vendors for bring this celebration to life:
🧩 Toolbox Laboratories — for creating beautiful children’s activities
📸 Merissa Humes Photo — for capturing the spirit of the evening
🍴 Andale Catering — for keeping us nourished and happy
And one last thank you to our event sponsors, whose generosity and partnership made this celebration possible.
Champions for Children honors individuals, teams, organizations, and businesses in Pierce County recognized for their extraordinary ability to make children and families feel encouraged, uplifted, and supported. Awardees are nominated by the community, and winners are chosen by a group of community volunteers.
2024 Champions (left to right: Rachel Lettieri, M.S. (Pediatrics Northwest), Michelle Perry (Amara), and Carol Mitchel, J.D., M.A (Institute for Black Justice). Not Pictured: Nelson Rascon (DadsMOVE).
-
-
-
-
Joe Le Roy
Linda Coby
Rosy Schlitzkus
Priscilla Wright
Hayes Child Development Center Staff
-
Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center
Courtney Nolen-Viducich
Dorothy Gorder
Shannon Hansen
Andy Song
-
Derek Young
Kelly Blucher
Marti Cates
The Pod Works & Kayla Schroader
Laura Lee Bentel
-
Allegra Gassert-Deman
Maureen Sorenson
Red Elm Cafè
Judge John Hickman
Sally Mednansky
-
John Briehl
Vera Brokenshire
Grocery Outlet at 56th St.
Peggy McCloud
Dr. Sherwin Shinn
-
Holly Bamford Hunt
Bruce Dammeier
Lolita Estrada
Ellen McCracken
Breana Rommel Howell
-
Helen Myrick
Neel Parikh
Betty Renfro
-
Betty Mann
Frank Hewins
Brenda Rogers
-
Jo Cruz
Rick Allen
Dr. Lisa Block
Dr. Mark Kadoshima
Questions?
Please contact Muriel Herrera-Velasquez, PCECN Program Manager, with any questions. She can be reached at muriel@first5fundamentals.org.
