Giving is the best way to kick off the holiday season. With that in mind, Root for Kids offers the perfect giving opportunity every year! On December 16, 2019, Root for Kids partnered up with Red Rock Broadcasting to host the 4th Annual Radioathon for children and families.

From 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Mix 103.1, Kool 98.9, Coyote Country 102.3 and Zion 104.1  were broadcasting live from Root for Kids. The djs encouraged listeners to donate, and interviewed sponsors, staff and families. We also invited the public to come volunteer and be part of the fun! 

Impact

The Radioathon raised $13,050 in cash (over $1,000 per hour!) and $7,570 in in-kind donations. Donations included diapers, books, adaptive materials and items from our wish list. 

Throughout the day, 60 volunteers worked on variety of walk-in projects. They put together newborn kits, created activity packets for young children and bundled hundreds of diapers. 

Thank you to all who were a part of this incredible day! It takes a village to take care of the youngest and most vulnerable in our community. We could not do our work without you! For more Radioathon pictures, check out our Facebook album.

To support Root for Kids throughout the year, join our Garden Club and receive a free t-shirt!

On Saturday, September 7, 2019, approximately 240 friends of Root for Kids (formerly The Learning Center for Families) packed the Sun River Community Center Ballroom full for the second annual Root for Kids Gala. Over $100,000 ($88,000 net proceeds) were raised to help fund services provided by Root for Kids that benefit over 600 children every week throughout Washington County and along the Arizona Strip.

The theme of the event was “The Secret Garden”. Beautiful live planter centerpieces and decor, a floral photo backdrop and a garden arbor entry into the ballroom created the perfect mood. The arbor was decorated with greenery and hanging keys. Guests could select a key as their ticket to the Opportunity Drawing for a chance at winning a Vegas vacation.  A committee of volunteers and staff members and over $13,500 in in-kind donations helped to create the magical feel of the venue that guests were raving about throughout the evening.

The program included a cocktail hour and silent auction, dinner catered by Katering Koncepts, and the presentation of six annual community awards including:

• 2019 Outstanding Volunteer: Dixie Sunrise Rotary Club
• 2019 Outstanding Health Partner: University of Utah Physician Assistant Program
• 2019 Outstanding Community Partner: Utah Food Bank
• 2019 Outstanding Donor: The Kahlert Foundation
• 2019 Outstanding Business: Litehouse Foods
• 2019 Debbie Justice Legacy Award: Ellen Arch

The Debbie Justice Legacy Award is presented in honor of Debbie Justice, who founded the nonprofit in 1993. The recipient receives a piece of artwork donated by a local artist. This year, Dr. Ellen Arch received the award for her meaningful and impactful contributions to Root for Kids and children in our community.

Local opera singer Tennile Coello sang classic Broadway tunes during dinner to add even more magic to the evening. Following Tennile, a video reminded guests of the purpose of their support. It featured Representative Lowry Snow discussing the importance of early childhood education, as well as family stories.

Guests also heard from Joy Davis whose daughter Emery participated in Root for Kids’ Early Intervention program last year. Kendyll Barber, an alumni of the program who received services as a toddler over 20 years ago, also spoke.

One of the more touching parts of the evening included Root for Kids CEO Suzanne Leonelli pointing out the reserved empty seat for long-time donor and volunteer St. George City Councilman Joe Bowcutt who passed away unexpectedly the week prior. Joe was actively involved with Root for Kids and frequently brought in groups of volunteers.

Another highlight of the evening included watching guests raise their paddles in support of Root for Kids programs. The children at the Caterpillar Clubhouse decorated the paddles, which added an extra touch. The paddle raise generated a total of over $18,400 as the auctioneer started by requesting bids of $5,000 all the way down to $25. It was followed by a live auction emceed by local comedian Ed Tracey.

This fundraiser was made possible by a total of 30 sponsors including Red Rock Broadcasting, Litehouse Foods, America First Credit Union, Snow Jensen & Reece, and The Kahlert Foundation among others. The silent auction used a paperless bidding system with guests bidding from their cell phones and bidding stations placed around the room. Items included a 70” 4K Sony Smart TV, Utah Jazz Swag basket, homemade quilts and treats, hotel stays and a Zion Helicopter Flight for 4. The live auction included a Crazy Cash Grab and vacation packages to New Orleans, San Francisco, a 7-night stay in Cabo San Lucas and the 2020 U.S. Open Golf Tournament, just to name a few.

Root for Kids is grateful to everyone who was part of The Secret Garden Gala. We could not do our work without the support of an amazing community of donors, volunteers, advocates and friends. Join us for our next fundraising event on December 16, 2019! 

Every year, Root for Kids recognizes key partners and individuals in our community who go above and beyond to support our mission. Meet the 2019 Root for Kids award recipients –

2019 Outstanding Community Partner: Utah Food Bank

For over 115 years, Utah Food Bank has stayed true to one objective: fighting hunger statewide.  Last year, the Utah Food Bank distributed 43.3 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 36.1 million meals through a variety of programs they offer. Currently there are more than 1,000 homeless students in the Washington County School District, and even more unacceptable is 1 in 5 Washington County children are unsure when their next meal will be.  Household food insecurity has insidious effects on the health and development of young children, including increased hospitalization, developmental risk and behavior problems.

Linda Trujillo, with the Utah Food Bank, understood that children ages 0-3 cannot learn as well because chronic under-nutrition harms their cognitive development during this critical period of rapid brain growth and can actually change the architecture of the brain and central nervous system. Linda knew that Root for Kids did not fit their typical partnership requirements but did not let that stop her in her quest to help us feed the 700 families we serve every week. 

Through innovation, she crafted a hybrid program that allowed Root for Kids to distribute 21,172 pounds of food in this past year, which is equivalent to 17,644 meals. This is just one example of why the Utah Food Bank is our outstanding community partner for 2019.

2019 Outstanding Business: Litehouse Foods

Many of you have probably purchased Litehouse’s delicious dressings, dips, dried herbs, cheese or cider. But did you know they have a big new manufacturing facility in Hurricane that employs over 300 people? Root for Kids was fortunate to have met them at a Chamber of Commerce meeting and subsequently was the recipient of a generous gift during the grand opening of the Hurricane facility last year.

The founders of Litehouse believed that all of the people who make Litehouse great deserved to benefit in its success. That is why they transferred 30% of the company’s ownership to its employees in 2006 and by 2014 it was 100%. Together, Litehouse employees share the hard work and rewards of building their company, and they also share in the decisions of how the company spends its philanthropic dollars.  We are grateful to Litehouse and the employees who work at their Hurricane plant for choosing Root for Kids as one of the nonprofit organizations they support.

2019 Outstanding Health Partner: The University of Utah Physician Assistant Program

The Utah Physician Assistant Program at The University of Utah School of Medicine is one of the oldest PA programs in the country and has held continued accreditation since 1971. Their PA program has consistently ranked as a Top 10 program in the country by US News and World Report. In April 2018, accreditation was given for a distant campus in St George in the Russel C. Taylor Health Science Center at Dixie State University.

Our Health Services team learned of this exciting news and knew there had to be an opportunity to partner and help meet both of our missions. Last spring, we had the PA students join us at the Root for Kids and Dixie State University Dental Hygiene Day where we provide free oral health services to children and pregnant moms enrolled in our programs. In June, they joined us for our 2^nd Annual Health Fair for kids who are enrolled in our Caterpillar Clubhouse childcare program. Having the PA students there made it possible for us to invite our Early Health Start families to receive free health services, which were unable to the year prior.

We are excited about what the future holds for this program here in our community and we have already planned events for October and beyond.

2019 Outstanding Volunteer: Dixie Sunrise Rotary Club

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change -across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. The Rotary Club motto is “Service above Self” and this was demonstrated repeatedly by this club in our community and with an intentional focus on Root for Kids. 

If you ever want to be entertained stop by our office when the Rotary Club is helping us make developmental kits for our families. Watching grown men meticulously cut out card stock fish, gracefully glue on eyes and proudly hold up their one creation as the women shake their head and roll their eyes as they have completed 10 in the meantime.  

In addition to making developmental kits, these Rotarians could also be found at our agency bundling diapers, making newborn kits and delivering diapers. Most impressive was their help with our Community Food Distribution program here they were instrumental in handing out over 39,011 pounds of food at Coral Cliffs Elementary and through the Washington City Mobile food bank which is equivalent to about 35,000 meals.

2019 Outstanding Donor: The Kahlert Foundation

The Kahlert Foundation was established in 1991 by Bill Kahlert who was the co-founder of Evapco Inc. – a worldwide manufacturer of evaporative cooling products with corporate offices in Maryland. Bill was a very giving and generous man with a passion and desire to make a difference in the communities where he lived and worked. This compassion was passed down to his granddaughter Heather, who lives in Lehi with her three young children and manages their philanthropic efforts as Vice President. When Bill passed away in 2011, he left a generous gift to the foundation that has made it one of the largest private foundations in Maryland and Utah.

Through a chance meeting on social media, Heather and Janie – our Chief Development Officer – connected immediately and bonded over their love for The University of Utah, the nonprofit sector, their special relationships with their dads and being working moms raising 3 kids. Heather is unlike any other philanthropist or foundation director we’ve met. She uses social media to share her experiences and goals as a philanthropist and lets the reader experience what it’s like to be on what Janie likes to call “the other side of the grant curtain.” The style and vulnerability that comes through in Heather’s posts about the organizations she supports here in Utah is beautiful to read. Root for Kids has recently been the recipient of some very generous grants, sponsorships and branding advice from The Kahlert Foundation.

2019 Debbie Justice Legacy Award: Ellen Arch, MD

Well-behaved women, seldom make history and Dr. Ellen Arch is definitely one of these women. As a Pediatric Geneticist, her role goes far beyond the role of typical Doctor. Dr. Arch meshes the compassion of a Counselor and the knowledge of a Scientist with the ability to diagnose and treat patients as a Doctor. We are so fortunate to have a someone of this caliber in our community and thankful she has dedicated her time and talent to our organization as a Board Member for 6 years. 

As Board President this past year, her word for the year was “persistence”.  Recognizing that over 40% of our pregnant moms do not get prenatal care (2^nd in the state of Utah), 4^th in the state for low birth weight babies and 5^th in the state for having the most uninsured children, she led us on a crusade for community accountability and breached the equality/difference dived for children with special needs by establishing critical relationships with medical providers and ensuring the highest quality of care for our most vulnerable population.

Dr. Arch has an 18-year-old son Evan who is the light of her life, second only to her husband Karl Ashliman.  She has a fierce passion for children and adventure. Some of her most wonderful adventures have been with her in-laws, DL and Patricia Ashliman. She is truly one of the most brilliant women we know, and a wonderful friend and mentor.

Get involved with Root for Kids today! Donate, volunteer or learn more about what we do.

On May 20, 2019 we celebrated over 100 children graduating from Root for Kids programs. Kids aging out of the programs between January and July are invited for a Spring Graduation event organized by Root for Kids. This graduation, we asked the parents to share a little bit about their journey with Root for Kids with us! Check out a few of the stories.

Hardy Family

“When we moved to the area in 2018, we had five children under 6 and one on the way. The love, support and guidance given by Root for Kids made this transition so much better. Our children love the visits and we feel like RFK is more friends and family than “just” a program. Our daughters and sons have truly grown with RFK and we love it!”

Day Family

“My son was brought into the program worried that he might be behind on some skills. One year later he is graduating and is testing above average across the board! Thanks Root for Kids :)”

Webb Family

“Hazel is the #10 child in our family and she was born with Down syndrome. We have absolutely loved the Root for Kids program. I am positive that Hazel has done so much better with the help of her specialists! I have grown to love each and every one of people, and so has Hazel. She has excelled in speech therapy, physical therapy and continues to amaze us each day. Thank you so much for giving our child this head start!”

Adams Family

“Being in a Root for Kids program has been one of the very best decisions we’ve made for out three children. Two of my kids weren’t able to speak very well and it was quite frustrating. With the help of many different RFK employees we’ve come so far, and found much great accomplishments and major growth. We love RFK, they are true heroes.”

Gómez Family

“My Root for Kids story has been special for many reasons. I didn’t know about this program until my fourth child out of five, so I can tell the difference in the development of my son who was in the program compared to my three older children who were not. I can also notice the difference in us parents with what we have learned. Our family is very grateful for the program and for everyone who makes it possible for it to happen. Thank you very much for everything.”

We love working with children and their families and help them receive the best start in life. You can also make a big impact in their lives by supporting Root for Kids! There are many ways to give – purchase tickets to The Secret Garden Gala, become a sponsor, donate an auction item, purchase a book or an item from our wish list.

Every year, Root for Kids joins all Parents as Teachers programs in Utah for the Utah Families Connect event. The theme this year at Root for Kids was developing healthy habits. Thus, staff prepared and served a healthy dinner, planned obstacle courses for the kids and offered parent/child yoga classes. About 50 families and 150 children came to event! Also, several organizations were invited to table at the event to provide community resources for the families. Check out our favorite moments from the Fit Kid Fair below.

Everyone loved the smoothie station at the event. Try them at home!

If you are interested in the Parents as Teachers program, fill out a referral form online.