David Shultz, vice president of operations at industry technology provider DistributorCentral (PPAI 220404), serves on the board of Big Slick, a Kansas City charity benefiting Children’s Mercy Hospital. At this year’s event, held June 23-24, the charity beat its goal by $200,000 and raised $1.75 million to support children with cancer.

“My main reason for being a Children’s Mercy supporter and donor over the last dozen or so years is that some of my very best friends had a child who was treated there routinely for the first couple years of his life,” says Shultz. “The event supports the oncology center at Children’s Mercy, and once you spend some time visiting with the kids at CMH who are undergoing treatment for cancer … there’s really no saying no again to anything that’s asked of you.”

Big Slick was founded by actors Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis, who are all from the Kansas City area. They have since been joined by actors Eric Stonestreet and David Koechner, also area natives, in hosting the event. Shultz says, “Paul Rudd and I were fraternity brothers and roommates at the University of Kansas before he moved to California to study acting. I’ve been friends with him and his family for years and so when I was asked to lend a hand with the event I couldn’t resist.”

“Initially I stepped in to help get a website up and running, and oversee the social media and digital marketing aspect of the event, but over the years I’ve been sucked into everything from marketing to show production to online fundraising to event merchandise to performing in the band to being an ambassador for our celebrity guests to hosting the after-hours karaoke parties and more. The Rudd, Sudeikis, Koechner, Riggle and Stonestreet families have all become part of our greater Big Slick family, and I’m proud to continue to help grow this event and increase its visibility on a national level since Children’s Mercy is truly a gem in this city.”

Read more on Big Slick here.