| 2024 Annual Appeal Dear Friends and Supporters, 2024 is the 14th year in the life of the Flyin Ryan Foundation. It has been a wonderful year and host to several changes in our programs which should provide new avenues for outreach in our efforts to extend the impact of the life of Ryan Hawks. We have made a record number of Adventure Scholarship awards this year so far (19) and we expect that number to grow. Importantly, our awards are being made to a diverse collection of recipients who come to us from multiple sources. I don’t see any indication that this trend is going to slow down. It is a privilege to make our Adventure Scholarship awards and it would not be possible if it weren’t for the continuing generosity of our loyal donor and community partner supporters. This year we devoted considerable attention to expanding the outreach of our Core Values Challenge program. This program puts a critical life lesson opportunity into play with just one click from any cell phone or computer. It provides the viewer with a 12-slide PowerPoint presentation which either terminates or directly links to a core values writing exercise which ultimately resides on our redesigned website on the core values challenge wall. An example of new outreach opportunity is the Cast Binding system out of Driggs, Idaho. This company was founded by Lars Chickering Ayres, a close friend and ski companion of Ryan on the free ride world tour. Over 4,000 cards will be shipped with the Cast bindings this season. Flylow, a loyal supporter of the Flyin Ryan Foundation, will be including a core values challenge card with each of their shipments this fall. Other avenues of outreach are falling in our lap and should enable us to continue to expand our footprint. Our footprint within the IFSA (International Freeride Ski Association) continues to grow. The Decisions Program is being implemented in various ways and with varying degrees of diligence in a growing number of Vermont elementary and secondary schools. The Core Values Challenge program adds a layer of speed and efficiency to the exercise that makes it much easier for individual teachers to elect to incorporate the program into their curriculum. This can only speed up the wheel of outreach. Please take a look at this attachment from the Windsor high school freshman class which reflects the impact this program has on students. I constantly hear unsolicited feedback from people who are grateful that we put the core values exercise in their lap. Financially, we are stable and continue to operate in the black. Christine Golden (Golden Consulting) administers our operational affairs with outstanding efficiency and diligence. Dave Punia handles our IT needs. Alicia Hawks does an outstanding job administrating the golf tournament and spearheads our Adventure Scholarship program. After a number of years of loyal service, Sparky Milliken has stepped down from his bookkeeping duties and we are doing the reconciliations directly with our accountant. Please continue to help us continue our mission by making a contribution which you can afford. Ways to Donate Donate directly: We accept donations of all sizes through PayPal. Facebook: Create a fundraising page on Facebook to benefit Flyin Ryan. This is a great way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion. Buy Flyin Ryan gear: We receive part of the proceeds from the sale of our merchandise on the Ski The East site. Grab a beanie, baseball Sweatshirt or stickers. It’s also a great source for Christmas gifts. Corporate Sponsorship: Contact us about sponsoring an event, program or an Adventure Scholarship recipient. Giving Tuesday: Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media collaboration. It will be celebrated this year on Tuesday following Thanksgiving, December 3rd. Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday in your and giving. Our friends at Ski the East are running a special promotion to generate revenue on giving Tuesday this year. Check out their website. Donate your Appreciated Stock: If you would like to avoid taking capital gains on appreciated stock, consider transferring your stock to the Flyin Ryan Foundation. All you need to do is call your broker or arrange to initiate a DTC transfer of your shares to the Flyin Ryan account at Schwab. You direct the shares to be delivered to the Schwab DTC #0164-Code40 / FBO Flyin Ryan Foundation Account #593-853-800-3877-8637. Contact us for more information. |
Thank you for your support! With our best wishes this holiday season…Onward and upward! Peter Hawks, Executive Director |