2024 Heart of a Champion Gala

Heart of a Champion Gala Program

The Heart of a Champion Gala takes place Thursday, April 18. The doors open at 5:15 and the event begins promptly at 6:00 – 7:30 PM, and we would like to invite you to join us.

This year our theme is “Hope is Within Us All.” We will celebrate the impact that partners are making in our community by

featuring four Heart of a Champion award-winning school, faith, business, and civic/nonprofit leaders.

Join us in person and enjoy entertainment and celebrate school and community award winners while supporting Caring for Kids Network’s fundraising.

The gala will equip CFKN to reach more students, impact more families, and help us reach the goals of more principals. Will you consider being a Caring for Kids Gala Champion and help continue the work to inspire hope and prepare children for their future.

We are honored to have Dayonne Richardson as this year’s Gala keynote speaker. Dayonne is a local Children’s BookAuthor and Educator of over 10 years. She is currently an academic Instructional Coach at Hogan Preparatory Elementary School in Kansas City Missouri. Since 2020 she has released two children’s books. “I Told the Storm” reminds us that the darkest storms can still bring the most beautiful growth. “Our Gift Grace” serves as a reminder of the gift we give to ourselves and others. Following the release of both children’s books she has gone on to create the accompanying book characters Emry & Grace plushies. As an enthusiastic business owner of Mirror Mirror Books LLC her desire is that her readers will always see themselves in anything she writes or creates. She understands the mirror matters!

Emceeing the Gala will be Dr. David Stubblefield. Dr. Stubblefield is the Associate Superintendent of Leadership and Learning in the Shawnee Mission School District. He brings 25 years of educational experience to the associate superintendent role. Originally from Dodge City, Kansas, he attended Missouri State University where he first “caught the teaching bug,” earning a degree in education with an emphasis in biology. He has a master’s degree in technology from Mid-America Nazarene University, a master’s degree in school administration from Baker University, and a doctorate in school leadership from Kansas State University. He began his professional career teaching biology at Center High school in Kansas City, Missouri. Stubblefield has served in several educational leadership positions which includes principal of Blue Valley North High School and executive director of school administration for the Blue Valley School District. Stubblefield sees the value in the work of the Shawnee Mission School District’s strategic plan and making sure it remains a focal point for educators. Dr. Stubblefield believes “A leader’s vision is only as strong as their enthusiasm for helping others on the journey”.

Robert Tribitt III and RoJo Crew will provide musical entertainment. Robert Tribitt III was born on the south side of Chicago,

IL, into a family of musicians. Growing up in church while his father Robert Tribitt Jr. played the piano, Robert Tribitt III grew to love everything about music. His father also had a gospel group call “Joy Ensemble”in which his mother, Evelyn Tribitt, sung soprano.

Robert Tribitt III has traveled the world playing in various countries. He’s currently the pianist for gospelsinger Lynda Randle, with whom he toured Norway, Grenada, the Cayman Islands, and more. He was the first black gospel pianist to play an acoustic piano in the country of Barbados. He plays for various artists, groups, churches, and events in Kansas City.