Help Andy raise money

Peace everybody,

     My name is Andy, and I’m proud to ask for your donation to JCYC’s Aloha Run for Peace, in support of our JCYC Youth Scholarships, and our community partners at the United Playaz and Partnerships for Trauma Recovery.

     Every year, I feel proud when scholarship awards are announced at our agency. It’s exciting to see the joy that families experience when their child is praised for their efforts, and encouraged to think about new possibilities for their future… but there’s a downside to it, too. 

     Every year, no matter how proud I am… when I find out how much money we raised to award to the young people in our programs, I think the same thing. 

     “I wish we had more to give.”

     College is expensive. Life is expensive. When we choose to award a scholarship to someone in our programs, we have to think about the journey they still have ahead of them. The dollar amount we are able to give matters greatly.

     When I was growing up, I was lucky to have a family that could financially provide me with most of the things I needed. I was free to move towards a future in which the odds would likely continue to be in my favor. Still, I felt like something was wrong. 

     When I considered the path that was laid out for me, and I looked at the world around me, I was disturbed by what I saw. The same system that would reward me for reasons beyond my control would just as easily punish others for reasons beyond theirs. How could I accept the benefits of society at the expense of someone else’s future?

     I still worry about that unfairness today when I think about the youth in our programs. The funds raised here are my attempt to contribute to our agency's effort to reward them for their hard work, and wish them the most free future they can think of.

     Do you feel discouraged by the world sometimes? 

     Do you want to be part of making a positive change?

     Do you want to see our kids get rewarded for what they do, regardless of what they look like or where they come from? 

     All contributions to the Aloha Run Fundraiser go directly to children, and members of our community doing work every day to protect children from physical and emotional violence.

     No matter how much you contribute, your donation can be a part of my wish that we will have “more to give” the young people in our programs.

Thank you,

     Andy