The Kid's Charities (formerly known as the Kid's Charities of the Antelope Valley) main office is located in Lancaster, California, only 55 miles north of Los Angeles. The agency is known for serving over 25 local children’s charitable organizations. The Kid's Charities focus is to help the kids in the community who need it most.

Meet the Founders

The Kid's Charities of the AV was founded in 2000 by Ron Emard, dealer principal of Antelope Valley Harley Davidson in Lancaster, California. Ron and his wife Yvette are known for their untiring devotion to kids in need and have been actively involved as private citizens and business leaders for over 25 years.

Yvette is the Executive Director of Kid's Charities and Ron is the President of the Board of Directors.  Both have been involved with many civic organizations as directors, volunteers and chair members plus each have acquired numerous community leadership awards. Together they are the visionaries and dynamic leadership for the Kid's Charities.
 

History

Founder, Ron Emard’s passion for helping kids got serious when he adopted two children approximately 25 years ago.  Always a major supporter of his community, Ron recognized the need to deal with the issue of child abuse in the early 90’s when sadly the very city he resided in had very high rates of child abuse cases. 

Ron had a career in the automotive industry for over 48 years. As managing partner of a Honda dealership, Ron founded an event he named Thunder on the Lot in 1995. It began as a small custom/classic car show and motorcycle show at the dealership used to raise funds in support of a local child abuse prevention agency. This continued for six years until awareness that funds raised were growing into large sums. So it became time to provide support for more kid’s charity organizations, hence Kid's Charities of the Antelope Valley was founded in 2000.

Yvette Emard is the marketing and advertising arm of all Kid's Charities events.  She began working with Ron on events in 1999 and since has founded and co-directs several Kid's Charities events with her husband.  As Executive Director of Kid's Charities she oversees the day to day operations, continues to build alliances with local kids agencies and directs all Kid's Charities events.