The 46th Annual Easterseals Telethon happened earlier this month on March 7 at the Par-A-Dice Hotel.
The culmination of Easterseals Central Illinois’ annual campaign, the telethon has always been a place where old friends can reunite, families can celebrate milestones, and members of the Easterseals family can spend an evening celebrating the organization that ties them all together.
This year’s telethon was no different.
Checks were presented. Interviews were held. Community members manned the phone bank and made calls on behalf of the children and families at Easterseals.
And this year, to make things even more special, we welcomed a guest emcee who joined the WMD Talent to host the telethon live, on-air.
Meet Hayden! (Although we know you probably have already heard of him)
This kid is going places.
Hayden is 10-years-old, loves trucks and tractors, and can tell you anything you’d like to know about earth-moving equipment. He loves anything with an engine, and enjoys going to farm shows with his dad and showing their vintage garden tractors.
In his life so far he has already met milestones, surpassed many goals, and experienced really cool things (like helping drive a PDC truck).
You may remember him as co-host of the Easterseals Century Ball back in November of 2019. He blew the crowd away with his one-liners, stage presence, and true talent for speaking to a crowd.
He brought his bright smile and endearing personality to the 46th Annual Easterseals Telethon which was broadcasted live on WMD/WYZZ and able to be streamed at CIProud.com and WMBD’s Facebook page.
Hayden has become a celebrity within our Easterseals community. A young “Mr. Easterseals.” What many people may not know is how much hard work Hayden has put into his public speaking. His mom, Daphne, has shared that before coming to Easterseals, it was hard for him to regulate his emotions. After his own hard work and help from his therapist Lauren, Hayden was able to learn to articulate his thoughts, and tools to help him move from the red zone back to the green zone.
“His therapy sessions helped bring tremendous peace to our home, helped Hayden overcome obstacles, and allowed the rest of the world to see what we see: an exceptional young man with hopes and dreams, with gifts and talents, who God will use someday to change the world. That’s what you’re supporting at Easterseals. Families. Dreams. Exceptional young people.” – shared, Daphne.
At Easterseals, we feel so honored to watch kiddos like Hayden grow their skills, discover new talents, and meet different milestones every single day.
Hayden’s Easterseals family will always be here, cheering him on! We can’t wait to see where his future takes him.
Click here to watch a video featuring more of Hayden’s story.
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