Caring As a Way of Life: Celebrating the Inspiring Legacy of Kari Schmitz

Honoring Bears Who Care Charity Co-Founder with Who’s Who of Horizon West Award 

In recognizing Kari with the Who's Who Award, we honor a legacy that continues to inspire and positively impact our community. Kari's life and work remind us of the power of individual actions to foster change and the importance of supporting one another. 

Kari's story is one of inspiration, born from a legacy of education and giving. Influenced profoundly by her parents, Jon and Nancy Kron, dedicated educators who instilled in her the values of service and education, Kari embarked on a mission to extend her parents' impact on children. Despite a successful career in the corporate world, Kari felt a calling to contribute more meaningfully to her community. In 2008, together with her husband Tad, she founded the charity organization Bears Who Care — a testament to their entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to comfort and educate children in need.

Kari's vision for Bears Who Care was clear: to provide comfort to children facing illness, injury, disaster or financial hardship, and to foster a love for reading. Her organization would be dedicated to bringing smiles to children’s faces with a plush teddy bear and book. 

"THE WONDER OF LIFE IS WHAT WE CREATE" - JON KRON

From its humble beginnings with just 50 teddy bears and 50 books, Bears Who Care has grown into a beacon of hope, distributing over 28,000 teddy bears and books to children across Central Florida by 2023. Bears Who Care has become more than a charity; it’s become a movement. It’s touched the lives of thousands of children by embodying Kari's belief in the power of empathy and kindness.

In addition to her caring nature, Kari was also driven and dedicated to excellence. It was her unique blend of professional expertise and personal warmth that set her apart. With a career spanning over three decades in brand marketing and public relations, including impactful roles at The Walt Disney Company, Kari leveraged her skills to amplify the reach and positive contributions of Bears Who Care.

The journey with Bears Who Care was not without its hurdles. Kari's unwavering commitment to her cause saw the charity through challenges, including the pivot to virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of initiatives like the OktoBEARfest 5K Fun Run & Festival, which raised a record-setting $32K in 2023, stands as a testament to Kari's leadership and the community's support.

Kari's love for Orlando and Horizon West shone brightly in her work and her aspirations for the community. She envisioned a place where compassion and connectedness thrived, supported by the contributions of its residents. Through Bears Who Care, Kari not only provided comfort and education to children but also inspired a collective spirit of community, giving and volunteerism. She led the OktoBEARfest 5K Fun Run & Festival to prosper into a community tradition that continues to grow year after year.

Kari’s story is one of unwavering dedication to making the world a better place, one teddy bear and book at a time. Sadly, the world lost Kari to Leptomeningeal Disease, a rare cancer, in January 2024. While Kari may no longer be with us, her vision for a compassionate community lives on through Bears Who Care and the countless lives she touched. She left an indelible mark on Horizon West, inspiring those around her to live with purpose and generosity.

Her life's work serves as a beacon of inspirational living, community service, educational empowerment, as well as the profound impact one individual can have on the well-being and future of their community.

Her legacy lives on as Bears Who Care will continue to fulfill its mission, giving all of us the opportunity to live into purpose by contributing in a way that makes a positive impact. 

Learn how to donate, volunteer or participate in OktoBEARfest events at BearsWhoCare.org

Register for this year's OktoBEARfest 5K >>

Meet the other 2024 Who’s Who of Horizon West Award recipients, and nominate someone for next year's awards: HorizonWestMagazine.com/WhosWho