Dancing with the St. Louis Stars
Daugherty has supported The Independence Center through Dancing with the St. Louis Stars for many years, most notably in 2017 when President and CEO Ron Daugherty and his dance partner Nina Middendorf stepped into the spotlight to compete. Ron has since served as a judge, and Daugherty has been a sponsor.
The Independence Center is a community-based rehabilitation program for adults with severe and persistent mental illness in the St. Louis metro area. However, this cause is also a personal one for Ron and the rest of Team Daugherty. One of Daugherty’s earliest employees, Gib Hecker, had struggled with mental illness, ultimately losing the battle. Gib’s family became involved in the founding of the Independence Center in an effort to help raise awareness and provide support for those in the community living with a mental illness.
…the commitment of Independence Center, to stop the stigma and to enrich and save lives… now, that's a mission I can proudly support.Ron Daugherty
Our continuous involvement with the gala has helped them as they’ve raised millions to accomplish their mission of providing rehabilitation and employment to adults in the metro area with serious and persistent mental illness.
