Heart of a Champion Gala 2025

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The Heart of a Champion Gala takes place Thursday, April 17. 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 "Dreams of Hope." 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 Paul Coffman as this year’s Gala keynote speaker. Mr. Cauffman grew up in Chase, Kansas, a small town with a population of 600 people. He was a walk on football player at Kansas State University, and after his senior year he was a free agent with the Green Bay Packers, becoming a starter his second year. In his fifth year he was voted to play in the Pro Bowl and ended up playing in three consecutive Pro Bowls. In 1986 and1987 he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and The Minnesota Vikings in 1988. In 1994 he was honored to be inducted into the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. Currently he lives in Peculiar, Missouri with his wife, Amy and four children who all played Division 1 college sports. His oldest son, Chase, played in the NFL for eight years. Aside from football, Mr. Coffman spent 33 years in sales and is currently retired. He does motivational speaking and has served on the Ray-Pec school board for the last nine years.

Emceeing the Gala will be Dr. Judith Campbell, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, graduate of the Hickman Mills School District, and current Deputy Superintendent of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in Teaching with endorsements in Special Education and English Language Learners from the University of South Florida, an Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Dr. Campbell began her career as a special education teacher, earning a reputation for her ability to connect with and motivate students, and was recognized as a T-Mobile Trailblazer for her leadership in integrating technology to enhance student learning and outcomes. Her careers has been guided by the philosophy of “The Power of 1,” underscoring her belief that when one adult, one school, one district, and one community unite as advocates, every student has the opportunity to succeed and make a meaningful impact on the world.