Caroline Schumacher Named Give Kids The World Village President & CEO

Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) has named Caroline Schumacher its President and CEO. She’s returning to an organization where she worked for nearly 20 years. Currently, Schumacher is the President and CEO of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), an institution with close ties to GKTW. Henri Landwirth was a founding member of both organizations.

“Stepping into the role at Give Kids The World feels like coming full circle — honoring Henri Landwirth’s vision in a new way, for a cause that has always been close to my heart.”

Caroline Schumacher

Landwirth, a Holocaust survivor and hotelier, established ASF (previously the Mercury 7 Foundation) with the surviving Mercury 7 astronauts, Betty Grissom, and flight surgeon Dr. William Douglas in 1984. He became close friends with the astronauts when they stayed at his Starlight Motel in Cocoa Beach, Florida, during the early days of the space program.

He founded Give Kids the World Village in 1986. The nonprofit provides cost-free central Florida vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families. Partnering with organizations like Make-A-Wish, Disney, and Universal, the Village helps create unforgettable experiences. Our close friends stayed there during a difficult time, and they couldn’t say enough about how magical it was.

Caroline Schumacher officially takes over as President and CEO of Give Kids The World Village this June.