FUN SHINES BRIGHTLY

Variety Club hosts 21st annual Annie Madden Sunshine Games

WORCESTER » On Wednesday, August 3rd, Variety Club (Variety — the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley) hosted the 21st annual Annie Madden Sunshine Games. Children with disabilities who are participating in summer programs at Variety enjoyed a special day full of games and activities including relay races, water games and more on Variety’s campus in Worcester. The event was a much-anticipated event of the summer season for the 100+ children with disabilities who daily have participated in summer camp, summer school (Extended School Year), and vocational training.

The Annie Madden Sunshine Games honor Annie Madden, a Variety camp counselor who tragically lost her life in a car accident in 1999. A year after her death, her parents, Jim and Mary Ellen, decided there was no better way to invoke Annie’s memory than an annual care-free day of fun for campers and friends of Annie. Today, Variety upholds that memory through this annual field day of fun that engages corporate volunteers.

The theme for this year’s games was the Olympics. For the 16th year, volunteers from Aetna/CVS hosted a BBQ lunch for campers as well as facilitated various activities throughout the day. Campers enjoyed ice cream and sensory-friendly gifts, courtesy of Firstrust, whose volunteers also donated their time to help with the event. The day was not complete without a special visit from Swoop and the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders. Variety is a proud partner of the Eagles Care Network.

Variety and Firstrust partnered earlier this summer in a promotion in which Firstrust pledged a $100 donation for each new checking account

opened. These donations helped to assist Variety in creating a great summer camp experience for kids with disabilities. The promotion is just one piece of the bank’s 46-year partnership with Variety.

Variety’s mission is to enrich the lives of children and young adults with disabilities through social, educational and vocational programs that nurture independence and self-confidence,

and prepare them for life. Each year, hundreds of families eagerly await coming “home” to Variety for a summer full of rich relationships and engaging activities. Variety summer camps include day camp, overnight camp, extended school year (ESY) and vocational training program. In addition, Variety’s workforce development model VarietyWorks is making a difference in the lives of the young adults who are receiving valuable job training and independent job placement.

PHOTOS PROVIDED The Annie Madden Sunshine Games honor Annie Madden, a Variety camp counselor who tragically lost her life in a car accident in 1999.

A camper gets the finishing touches of face paint.

Jim and Mary Ellen Madden established the Sunshine Games in honor of their daughter Annie, who was a counselor at Variety before her death in a car crash in 1999.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS A dunk tank was just one of the fun activities at the Sunshine Games.

Maribeth Roman Schmidt, Variety board chair; Tim Abell, Firstrust president, and Dominique Bernardo, Variety CEO are pictured here.

Dominique Bernardo, Variety of CEO, poses with representatives of Abbey Plumbing and Heating, the sponsor for this year’s Annie Madden Sunshine Games.

Tammy Gaul, Variety parent and Aetna longime volunteer helps prepare the burgers.

Swoop and the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders were on hand to share in the fun.

Variety is a proud partner of the Eagles Care Network.