Kindering’s eighth annual Salute to Courage luncheon raised more than $135,000 for infants and children with special needs. The Oct. 17 event was headlined by Emily Perl Kingsley, 20-time Daytime Emmy award winning writer and mother of a son with Down syndrome.

Kingsley has been writing for Sesame Street since 1970, and was instrumental in expanding the show’s cast to include those with disabilities, including her son, Jason. Kingsley shared her essay “Welcome to Holland” during a pre-event VIP meet & greet. Her keynote included stories and a discussion about bettering the lives of children with special needs.

Kindering is located in Bellevue’s Crossroads area. In 2012, the organization helped more than 3,500 children and their families. Services include developmental assessments; physical; speech, and mental health therapies; special education; childcare consultation; nutrition/feeding therapy; outreach to homeless shelters, foster and kinship care interventions; family counseling; and parent education.

“Decades of research have proven that ages birth to three are the most critical phase of brain development for any child – a one-time opportunity to make a powerful difference,” said Kindering Executive Director Mimi Siegel. “The Center’s own data show that 97 percent of our children make progress; 73 percent narrow the gap with their typically developing peers; and 36 percent no longer require special education services at age three.”