While the next few weeks are extremely busy from a travel perspective, there has been no doubt that this week has been and will continue to be largely about Kids’ Chance. The non-profit organization, now known to many in our industry for making scholarships available to children whose parents have been seriously injured or killed on the job, continues to grow in scope and size, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Last Friday, the newly formed Kids’ Chance of Florida, Inc. held its second full meeting of the Board of Directors, and things are really moving along. We have money in the bank, and have been granted our 501(c)3 non-profit status. Friday we agreed upon our scholarship criteria. After only a few months, we are ready to start accepting scholarship applications. A website glitch has taken our new site offline for a few days, but we will have all the necessary forms online at www.kidschancefl.org very soon.
KCFL also welcomed it’s newest board member at this meeting. NCCI CEO Bill Donnell graciously offered his time and services, and we were very pleased to add him to the roster. All in all, I am personally thrilled with the Florida board we have assembled. I look for this to be an extremely dynamic and successful group.
This week I am headed to RIMS in San Diego. While there will be meetings, new connections and great gatherings with friends, the biggest reason for me to attend this year is a meeting of the Kids’ Chance of America National Advisory Board. This group is deeply involved in national efforts to grow and promote Kids’ Chance chapters everywhere, and we have a great deal to discuss this year, as Kids’ Chance is growing at a record pace.
Finally, I leave San Diego Thursday to travel to Little Rock, AR for the annual Kids’ Chance Convention. I spoke at this event a couple years ago, but am returning this year as a proud representative of the groups newest state chapter. Fellow Florida Board member Ken Eichler will also be there, and it will be great to have the opportunity to share ideas and learn with all of the other state organizations.
So, you understand that Kids’ Chance is heavily on my mind these days. It is a terrific cause, and I encourage you to learn as much as you can about the organization. Better yet, get involved! You can learn more about the organization (like where we still need chapters!) at www.kidschance.org.
We’ll look forward to seeing you.