Variety, The Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada, Papillon Group and Australia’s Thunder From Down Under made a dream come true for Katie and Brianna O’Donnell, two Australian sisters battling with Muscular Dystrophy (MD), visited Las Vegas for the first time on June 17, 2016.
Katie and Brianna were escorted and lifted into their helicopter ride for a tour of the Grand Canyon by members of Australia’s hottest export, Thunder From Down Under who are currently performing 13 shows a week at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino.
Katie and Brianna developed MD in their mid teens and were both supported in their teen years by Variety of Western Australia, a Variety International chapter. Struggling with depression, Katie turned to singing and Variety West Australia granted her a scholarship at age 15 to further her passion. Katie became a part of and remains an important member in the Variety All Abilities Choir in Australia today. She went on to earn a marketing degree and secured a job with Variety Western Australia where she is able to help make a difference in others lives for more then 10 years now. Brianna in turn works for the MD Society in Western Australia.
Variety, The Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada, (a 501 (c) 3 organization) serves special needs children in the Las Vegas Valley and has donated in excess of $7 million worth of goods, services and money affecting more than 20,000 children affiliated with dozens of local agencies.
For more information, visit these websites:
- www.varietysn.org – Variety, The Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada
- www.papillon.com – Papillon Group
- Thunder From Down Under
