Words can’t describe how full our hearts are after the incredible success of the 5th Annual Night of Inspiration. Featuring the return of our favorite emcee, Sean Nolan, a Connecting Champions alum, Night of Inspiration left us all with smiles on our faces and memories to last a lifetime. The festivities included Inspiration Awards presented to our kids by their mentors, the annual future champs award, a Q&A session with our future police office, Amber, and her mentor, Sergeant Colleen, and a trip through Connecting Champions’ history with our very first kid, Camden! With record breaking attendance, together, we raised $75,000 for the kids in Connecting Champions! The night was full of smiles and love in celebration of our amazing kids!
Inspiration Award winners Kelsey, Kara, Tristan, and Camden
Kelsey – Future Cheerleader/Wrestler
Mentors – Pitt cheerleader Kathleen and KSWA Wrestler Lou Tristan – Fan of Playdough and Police cars
Mentor – Kelley, Pitt grad student |
Kara – Future Ghost Hunter
Mentors – Chris and Melanie, founders of Steeltown Paranormal Camden – Future Robotics engineer
Mentor – Sidney Kushner, Executive Director and Founder of Connecting Champions |
Amber and Sergeant Colleen Discuss the impact of their friendship
During a Night of Inspiration exclusive question and answer session, Amber and Sergeant Colleen discussed their friendship, the impact their relationship has had on each of them, and their history with Connecting Champions. Their adventures together include visits with the bomb squad, the forensics lab, the K-9 unit, the police academy, they participated in traffic stop and firearms training, and learned about explosives at the bomb squad’s practice range. It was truly inspirational to hear how their friendship has grown and how they have inspired each other over the years. Amber’s experiences gave her something to look forward to as well as career perspective and insight into a field she is passionate about.
THANK YOU to everyone who attended, donated, and supported our kids!
The bar has definitely been set high by the 2019 Night of Inspiration, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of so many of you! Our hearts are full and we can’t begin to put into words how much we appreciate all of you. This was truly an inspirational night and has given us memories to smile about for a lifetime. Thank you for helping us celebrate the amazing bravery of our kids!