client spotlight

I just wanted to take a moment to spotlight clients of mine that are making a difference. Meet K and sisters N, C & L.





You've seen their pictures here before, now read about how they are working to help others. For my small part, Rebecca Redman Photography & Design will make a donation for each girl.

from the Observer & Eccentric Newspaper, dated April 13, 2008.

K of Troy knows exactly what will motivate kids to walk three miles for charity.

"Kids listen to other kids. Usually your friends listen to you. They can relate," said the sixth grader from St. Hugo of the Hills in Bloomfield Hills. "I haven't done any walks before, but I've dona a lot of school sports."

K is among dozens of children involved in organizing the Kids Helping Kids One Step at a Time walk this month in Birmingham. She, and sixth grader N, are in charge of motivating grade captains at their school, who in turn, enlist other students for the one- to three-mile walk on Sunday, April 27.

"I feel honored to be able to do this. There are 800 kids in my school. I know a lot of the girls in sixth grade. And we have popular grade captains. They talk to a lot of people," said K, who plans to walk three miles. "I think it's important for children to be in charge."

Connie Beckett, a Troy mom and walk organizer, does, too.

She's a volunteer for Variety, the Children's Charity, one of the four organizations that will benefit from the walk. The others, all involved in the Children's Charities Coalition, are The Community House of Birmingham, Orchard's Children's Services, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Oakland County.

"They had asked me to chair a golf outing and I looked at all the ladies there and said, 'You are missing something here. Everyone has been to a thousand black ties and golf outings. You've got to change your focus, to focus on kids helping kids," Beckett said, recalling a meeting of volunteers.

Beckett ended up handling both the June golf outing and the upcoming walk.

"I'm always trying to find vehicles to show my kids how to give back. I wanted to teach my kids that it didn't matter if you made $20, $2,000 or $2 million a year, you give back," she said. "No one taught me how to give when I was growing up," she said. As a child, Beckett learned that charity meant monetary donations, not physical or mental effort as well.

Her daughters, age 9 and 10, are students at St. Hugo, where "giving back" is a part of the curriculum, Beckett said.

"I was looking for the kids to physically go out there. I wanted the kids to go out there and do something physical," she said, envisioning 1,000 children at the walk.

She also wanted youngsters involved in the planning, giving them an even greater stake in the event.

"We went to the schools and had parent liaisons identify school leaders. Those are the kids who are really pushing this walk," she said. They also chose grade captains at each level in every school they visited.

"They've been spreading the word. They're making buttons, flyers."

Beckett said Radio Disney will be on hand with entertainment and family games, as well as face painters and sports team mascots. Karen Newman will kick off the walk by singing the national anthem.

Participants, including parents, can register in advance or simply show up on walk day.

"The other cool thing is each child will receive a T-shirt and two raffle tickets."

Beckett plans to continue the Kids Helping Kids walk annually.

"It's good for the kids, having them work together," said J, K's mom. "And they truly motivate each other in a way we couldn't. I'm proud of my daughter and I think they'll do well in the walk."

Way to go girls! If you would like to learn more about the cause, check out the site: The Children's Charities Coalition