MEDIA RELEASES

This year’s gala fundraiser will mark ten incredible years of partnership between Variety of Texas and Cinéshow. The annual gala and golf event, scheduled for 5:30pm on Wednesday, August 24th at the Renaissance Hotel – Addison. The next morning, there will be a shotgun start at 8:30am at Texas Star Golf Course. Funds raised through the Texan of the Year Gala & Golf event benefit Variety’s mission to empower children who live with differences. Cinemark’s Don Harton will be honored as the 2022 Texan of the Year.

Read More

“Out in the rest of the world, 90% of the time, our campers feel different from everyone else. If they have diabetes, or use a wheelchair, or are like me - a cancer patient and survivor – people’s first instinct is to stare or treat you differently or assume you are somehow limited because of your disability or challenges.”

Drew Schmidt, continued: “At school, these kids are given such a wide birth that being isolated and ridiculed has become their normal. But at Peaceable Kingdom, it’s different. There are no stigmas and no limits here.”

This might be his first “real” full-time gig, but it is definitely a dream job for the former camper. Drew was diagnosed with Stage 1 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at just 4-years old. Thankfully, the chemotherapy and treatment protocols were successful and the pediatric cancer patient became a pediatric cancer survivor. Drew was introduced to a summer camp for children who had been diagnosed with cancer by his pediatric oncology team. And at camp, he found his calling.

Read More

It's a good luck ritual, now! Mike and Nina Armstrong always get the first Variety of Texas Cinema Passport of the season: number 001. On the tenth anniversary of our growing fundraising campaign, we are so grateful to acknowledge the Armstrong family’s gifts in excess of $5,000 and their dedication to our mission and goals to empower kids with extra needs.

In 2022, thanks to the generosity and participation of our theatre partners, 100% of the $55,000+ raised by this year’s fundraiser directly benefits Variety of Texas programming. During its decade of lifetime, the Cinema Passport fundraising campaign has generated $917,200 for Variety of Texas. Next year, we will hit our goal of $1 million in total fundraising from Cinema Passport program because of Texans like you and the Armstrong’s, who love the movies and love to give back.

Read More

“Young adults registered to participate in “Skills & Thrills” are eager to find meaningful employment or volunteer opportunities after they graduate,” said Program Manager, Brandon Pledger. “Each of the tasks that KISD special education students have practiced and perfected to compete in “Skills & Thrills” will improve their everyday lives. They are also hard skills that can be added to a resume and, hopefully, used to secure employment.”

Read More

“As a parent of a child with special needs, who actually helped in the build the playground,” said Tom Nawa, KDP Director of National Accounts, “there is nothing more rewarding than to see the reaction on her face knowing she was helping others gain access to a playground suited to their needs. We hope that our financial support and sweat equity will help shape young lives by giving them access to a place to play for years to come.”

Read More

Potts can trace his Texas lineage back eight generations, which strongly influences his strength of character and commitment to his community. Today, he serves on the Variety of Texas Board of Directors and is a respected leader in our community, working as a seasoned healthcare administrator and small-town entrepreneur. During his college days at Texas A&M, while studying biomedical sciences and earning his Masters in Healthcare Administration, he worked as a camp cook and then a summer camp counselor for Peaceable Kingdom by Variety.

Read More

Sadly, 80 to 90% of children with disabilities, like autism or Down Syndrome, never learn to ride a traditional two-wheeled bicycle. Variety, the Children’s Charity of Texas is changing that for kids in the Bell County area. This innovative and collaborative program teaches children with special needs to do just that.

Read More

Temple Firefighter & EMT Cole Eason has raised more than $52,000 for fully-accessible summer camp, Peaceable Kingdom by Variety, in honor of his late father, Val Eason.

July 10 marked the 12th annual Val Eason Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting Peaceable Kingdom by Variety. More than $10,500 was raised this year, bringing Temple Firefighter/EMT Cole Eason’s lifetime fundraising over $50,000!

Read More

The COVID pandemic has been especially challenging for our children. For many, their social development has been stunted because of the lack of interaction with their peers. That is why the return of summer camps like Peaceable Kingdom by Variety are especially important for Texas children.

Read More

Thanks to a unique partnership between Variety of Texas and Garden of Hope, Killeen-area foster children have enjoyed a rare "Summer of Hope."

The "Summer of Hope" at Peaceable Kingdom by Variety is a collaboration between Variety of Texas and Central Texas Garden of Hope. Through the Summer of Hope program, the Garden of Hope staff and the Peaceable Kingdom team provided therapeutic and recreational day camp to foster children living in the Garden of Hope Emergency Shelter.

Read More