October 2019: Colleen Katz and Bobby Barnes
October 2019 Honorees
Colleen Katz and Bobby Barnes
Co-chairs of Noche para los Niños benefiting Kids in Focus kidsinfocus.org
Why do you support Kids in Focus?
Colleen: I’m lucky to be one of the photographers that mentors the Kids in Focus kids. I get to experience what this program does, see it lift the kids and watch the change come over them. Karen Shell, the founder, found the perfect tool to change a perspective of that child’s world into something of beauty, even if it initially doesn’t look that great.
Why do you feel so strongly about this organization?
Bobby: I was blown out of the water when I heard the story of a young man who was headed down the wrong track — and it was a bad track. After going through the KIF program, he had a transformation and completely turned his life around. He went from being a kid who was in trouble all the time and flunking out of school to a kid who was a leader among his peers and valedictorian of his class. Now that is an IMPACT!
Describe this year’s event.
Bobby: Noche para los Niños (Night for the Children) is not your typical fundraiser. Instead, the evening will be a fun, interactive cocktail party with a Día de los Muertos theme. Guests will walk through the indoor and outdoor spaces of the Arizona Heritage Center and be entertained by performers, including mentalist Brett Barry, contortionists, stilt walkers, jugglers, aerialists and more. They’ll get to sample delicious food from local restaurants, sip cocktails, listen to live music performed by Nate Nathan and the MacDaddy-O’s and, if they’re feeling brave, have their fortunes told by tarot card readers. Guests can also participate in a silent auction filled with fun experiences and powerful photographs taken by the children.
Proudest accomplishment:
Colleen: I have four kids, all adults now who are in careers they love. I’m so blessed they wake up doing something they love to do every day. Wish they were all in Arizona, but one in Chicago and one in Fort Collins, Colorado, make for wonderful places to go and visit.
Favorite Movie:
Bobby: I have a few, but if I can only pick one it would be “Auntie Mame” with Rosalind Russell.
Fun fact about you:
Colleen: I’m involved with quite a few charities and really do love each one. I seem like a crazy person during some “seasons,” posting the things I am involved in, but it fills my heart and I can’t imagine picking just one. I truly get more than I give.
Runners-Up:
- Kay Oliver & Char Augenstein, Full Circle 2019 co-chairs benefiting The Be Kind People Project
- Michelle Taylor, Special Events Committee chair benefiting A New Leaf
- Vicki Vaughn & Susie Muzzy, An Evening of Trends co-chairs benefiting Trends Charitable Fund
To learn more about Kids in Focus, go to kidsinfocus.org.
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