August 10, 2007 |  Rawhide Boys Ranch has committed $50,000 to the newly-created Founders Endowment Fund, which will be managed by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc. A brief presentation was recently made by John and Jan Gillespie, Rawhide founders, to Curt Detjen, President/CEO of the Foundation.
“We are pleased that Rawhide Boys Ranch has joined our family of charitable funds,” said Detjen. “This fund will help young men from our area in need of direction, thereby strengthening their families and our community at large. This is a fitting tribute to the good work started years ago by the Gillespies.”
The concept for the fund developed as the Gillespies began making plans to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. They decided that all gifts in recognition of their golden wedding anniversary would be designated toward the Rawhide Founders Endowment to create an opportunity for more young men to attend Rawhide. An anniversary party was hosted by Rawhide on July 29 and 485 people attended.
The Gillespies expressed their sentiments by sharing, “We are very excited about the fund. Since founding the boys ranch in 1965, it was always our policy to accept youth in need even if there was no funding available. To have an endowment that Rawhide can use for unfunded young men from the Fox Valley is wonderful.”
The priority of the fund will be to provide for at-risk youth and their families residing within the region served by the Foundation, by providing tuition assistance to Rawhide Boys Ranch. It will also support outpatient counseling services for at-risk youth and their families. The service region of the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region includes Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca, and northern Winnebago counties.
Chris, a recent alumnus from the Fox Valley, related his experience at Rawhide, “My external behavior was a reflection of my internal pain. What made the biggest difference was the environment. It gave me a perfect example of what a family is supposed to be like. Rawhide exists because staff can see past the actions and see the person, the heart, the life, but most importantly, the potential.”
“We are committed to making a difference in the lives of youth and families,” stated John Solberg, Rawhide’s Executive Director. “We believe it is important to help our communities enjoy a healthy family life and prosper. In the past six years Rawhide has served over 80 youth from the Fox Valley, and we want to extend our knowledge of what works with troubled youth to their families. In the past six years Rawhide has been home to youth from 53 counties in Wisconsin.”
The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc. was established as a public nonprofit organization in 1986 to enhance the quality of life for all people of the region by using financial gifts from individuals, families, and businesses to permanently address and support local needs. Since its founding in 1986, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $80 million to nonprofit projects and organizations.
Located outside of New London, Wisconsin, Rawhide Boys Ranch emphasizes a faith-based traditional family environment and serves at-risk and court-referred young men. Their mission is to inspire and equip at-risk teenage boys to become responsible young men through family-centered care, treatment, and education. Rawhide is largely supported by donations of cars, boats, campers, and financial gifts. Learn more about Rawhide by calling (920) 982-6100 or visiting the website at www.rawhide.org.
Photo Caption:John and Jan Gillespie (right), Rawhide Boys Ranch Founders, present Curt Detjen (left), President/CEO of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc., with a $50,000 check to establish the Founders Endowment Fund that will help provide tuition assistance for youth participating in programs at Rawhide. |
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