Trek for Tots: PCT Hike for Kindering2018-07-12T13:54:05-07:00

Trek for Tots: PCT Hike for Kindering

Thank you for moving mountains for our kiddos

In fall of 2017, local business leader and long-time Kindering friend Tom Varga set out to hike the length of the Washington State on the Pacific Crest Trail to raise funds and awareness for Kindering and the families we serve. His “Trek for Tots” was a huge success, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and steadfast support of our extraordinary community. But don’t just take it from us! Here are some words of gratitude from Tom:

Together through this campaign we raised $1.1 million in transformational funds, which enabled Kindering to strategically expand to meet acute regional demands.

Thanks to you, Kindering opened doors on its Renton satellite in October of 2017 and is fully operational. And thanks to you, Kindering Renton is on track to help 200 children and families per year through leading-edge therapies for an array of cognitive, feeding, motor, social, and other needs, as well as through inclusive preschool and world-class family support services.

Your partnership comes at a critical time. Kindering helped 4,500 children and families in 2017, and in order to meet a formidable regional demand, has launched toward a goal of serving 10,000 little ones by the year 2022. Kindering Renton is a transformational step in helping achieve this goal.

I sincerely believe thereโ€™s never been a more exciting time to be a part of this exceptional mission. If you are interested in staying involved with Kindering, here are a few great ways:

The success of this campaign truly would not have been possible without you and your commitment to bolstering the health and resiliency of our children, our families, and our communities. Thank you.

Meet Tom

Hi! Iโ€™m Tom Varga. 15 years ago, I founded CFO Selections in Seattle to bring the best senior financial and accounting talent to small businesses in the region. I was also motivated to reinvent my work-life balance after years of long hours in the tech sector. I wanted to spend less time in the office and more time with my kids enjoying the wonders of the outdoors and the treasures of the Pacific Northwest.

Because I believe even small companies have an obligation to re-invest in the communities from which they earn their living, our leadership team established the CFOS Foundation in 2007, a charitable foundation providing time, talent, and treasure to support foster children and the organizations that serve them. Thatโ€™s how I learned about Kindering and the work they do in early childhood intervention for both children with special needs and foster kids.

To relive Tom’s tales from the trail, scroll down to check out his blog entries from the Trek!

Tom’s Blog: Tom’s Favorite Foods

August 8, 2017ย โ€“ย Hiking is difficult, rewarding work. I will be putting one foot in front of the other for 30+ days to raise money and awareness for the Kindering kiddos that conquer their own mountains daily โ€“ and Iโ€™ll need a whole lot of fuel to help me do it.

The average 175 lb. person burns about 500 calories per hour hiking. I plan to hike an average [โ€ฆ]

Tom’s Blog: Training Update

Training, cats, and dogs: Prepping for the PCT with hiking partner Courage the Lion and special guest Tisza.ย 

August 1, 2017 โ€“ Courage the Lion and I have been doing a bunch of training hikes to prepare for the big one. Much as Iโ€™d like to be able to roll out of bed and hike the length of Washington cold turkey, the Courage/Tom brain trust [โ€ฆ]

Tom’s Blog: Tom’s Packing List

July 24, 2017ย โ€“ย Packing for the PCT is a balancing act: you want your pack to be light-weight so you can maximize your daily travel, but you donโ€™t want to leave any essential equipment behind. My goal is to average close to 19 miles per day, and so Iโ€™ve gotten the base weight of my pack down to 23.2 lbs. without food and water.

Iโ€™ve adopted a [โ€ฆ]

We are honored to be included in Kinderingโ€™s fundraising efforts in the south end

Christine Martin (Founder and Principal Consultant, HR Strategies International)

I read once that you can judge the quality of a society by how well they take care of their children, their elderly and the people in need. This is my contribution to that concept

Roger Johnson

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We are honored to help support such a wonderful organization reach more kids in need

Kevin and Carol Briscoe

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Our Mission

Kindering embraces children of diverse abilities and their families by providing the finest education and therapies to nurture hope, courage, and the skills to soar.
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