On a bright and warm fall day earlier this month, Horton's Kids celebrated the beginning of our 25th anniversary year. More than 100 excited guests joined us in the children's neighborhood to honor our founder, Karin Walser, as we renamed the Community Resource Center in her honor. Among the guests, we were grateful to have many alumni volunteers who, through countless hours of service, built Horton's Kids into the organization that it is today. 

Board President Dan Walsh, who first became involved as a volunteer in 1997, introduced Karin by sharing his memories of working with her over the years.

"In 2001, Karin had a job as a senior Congressional staffer; she was the mother of a toddler, with another child on the way; and she had a husband in medical school," Dan recalled. "And she was running a nonprofit in her spare time. She inspired, she cajoled, she led by example. She did it all because she wanted to grow an organization to provide more services to more children and in that, she was a force of nature."

Karin, who the children still affectionately call Ms. Kern, took the microphone next. "Most of all, I want to thank the Horton's Kids we've met over the years," Karin said. "It was the kids, not me, who made this all possible. For 25 years, their charm, their grit, their courage, and their strength have brought people together to make the world a better place."

The audience represented Karin's far-reaching impact - Horton's Kids' program alumni, former and current volunteers, parents, donors, and children currently in our programs came together to listen to her talk. Guests enjoyed food, including delicious mac and cheese, prepared by community residents. DC Councilmembers Tommy Wells and David Catania also came to show their support.

We want to again thank everyone who made this celebration so special! If you couldn't make it to the event, you can see snapshots from the day on our Facebook page. And you can still send a congratulatory note to Karin via our online guestbook.