I would like to personally pay a well-deserved tribute to each of you, our supporters and friends, who have made the choice to support Houston Children's Charity. Your continued dedication to our children is a manifestation of your true commitment to helping children who are the real beneficiaries of your generosity.

Countless numbers of children with special needs are continually left without a source of support or refuge. The abandonment and abuse of these children are not acts of God they are failures of love. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, safe, and well educated.

Your contributions, coupled with those of other philanthropically minded individuals who believe in our mission, have enabled many deserving children to reach their full potential. Our programs and services for children have flourished through your combined efforts, our individual contributors, dedicated volunteers, and a concerned corporate community.

As we each invest our resources to help make Houston a better place in which to live, we are investing in America's future, our children. Americans have been issued a call to conscience and we must answer that call. We cannot fail nor can we fail our children. To quote Rosie O'Donnell, we must and should "give until it hurts."

Your continued support of Houston Children's Charity will substantially enhance many opportunities for children and our ability to provide them. "Our Kids are Everybody's Kids" and there is nothing more important than helping them. Your continued support is an indication that each of you has devoted a big part of your life to doing just that, and I thank you.

Laura Ward