Read Across America Day

Every year on March 2nd, children around the country get to celebrate a birthday, Dr Seuss's.  Reading is fun.  Teachers, educators, and volunteers gather in classrooms with all kinds of activities to enthrall children and build dreams around the beloved stories of Dr. Seuss.

As in past years, The Youth Foundation partnered with the Eagle  River Youth Coalition/Youth Leaders Council and school staff to bring activities and supplies to 3 local schools.  From musical chairs to a Dr. Seuss character version of Twister, face painting and cookie making, everything had a reading component.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a fun day for the children at the Family Learning Center, Edwards Elementary and Gypsum Middle School.

Dance and Etiquette come to Berry Creek Middle School

There's a new Power  Hours program at The Berry Creek Middle School: Cotillion.  Every Tuesday afternoon Professional dance instructor Colin Meiring is teaching students the art of dancing and etiquette. Many know Colin from the Vail Performing Arts Academy where he choreographs and produces theatre and dance performances.  During the first Cotillion class students were dancing the Foxtrot within 20 minutes of starting class, young men were introducing themselves to their dance partners and girls were learning the proper way to follow a dance lead.  Colin told the boys "you're driving a Ferrari, make sure you know where you're going and treat your partner with great care." Everyone was having a fun time and being very respectful.

Dave and Karen Kolquist volunteer at Gypsum Elementary

Dave Kolquist is the Director of The First Tee of Eagle County, a Youth Foundation program that teaches both golf and character skills to children of all ages.  But did you know that in his spare time Dave and his wife Karen volunteer in Gypsum Elementary Schools in both reading and science classes? As a teacher for most of the past 30 years, Dave knows how difficult it is to reach all of the children in a class room on a one on one basis.  When he and Karen attend classroom reading time they are helping teacher Carol Blevins in a huge way.  Without the extra help she would have much less time to work with each student and to ascertain their individual skills and needs.

Thank you Dave and Karen for all that you do.

Paddle Painting - June Creek Elementary

June Creek Elementary kids in The Youth Foundation Power Hours programs 

painted auction paddles  for the upcoming First Descents Ball.

 

Youth Foundation Welcomes New Chair: STEVE COYER

YOUTH FOUNDATION WELCOMES NEW CHAIR: Steve CoyerThe Youth Foundation is thrilled to have Steve accept the Chairmanship of the Youth Foundation. We are certain that his passion, keen business sense and great leadership will be a guiding light for the Youth Foundation in the years to come. A Native of Detroit, Michigan, Steve Coyer attended The University of Michigan where he received a B. A . degree in Economics (with Honors) in 1973. Upon graduating Steve joined a small, entrepreneurial firm, which was then pioneering the concept of computer time-sharing for business applications. There, he completed a number of consulting projects with clients ranging from large electric utilities, to banks, to multinational food and beverage companies. The firm was bought by Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

In 1974 Steve married Amy, and eventually they both attended Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business together, where they earned MBAs. Following graduate school at Harvard, Steve worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Co. in Los Angeles, and then joined a McKinsey partner to establish the first Strategic Planning department for Automatic Data Processing. After two years, Steve was recruited by a small, computer data base company in NYC to help expand the company as its President. The firm’s clients included most of the leading institutional financial firms in the US, Europe, and Japan, as well as two-thirds of the Fortune 500. After ten years, the company was sold to Knight-Ridder who eventually sold it to Thomson Reuters, where it operates today.
Amy and Steve retired to the Vail Valley in June of 1999. He is an avid cook, and enjoys creating a delicious meal for good friends. Traveling is also another love; together, he and Amy have had wonderful adventures in places as far flung as New Zealand, Patagonia, Afghanistan, Iran, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Recently they sailed along the coast of Turkey and look forward to more exciting places in their future.

Though Amy and Steve never got around to having their own children, they pride themselves on being the best aunts and uncles imaginable! They adore their nine nieces and nephews, and have been fortunate, over the years, to have spent an amazing amount of quality time with them! Among Steve’s vast business experience he has also been a competitive amateur golfer for nearly twenty years, playing in the 1997 USGA Mid-Amateur, as well as the 1998 British Amateur Championship. His interest in golf and children led Steve to join the Advisory Board of The First Tee of Eagle County, and served as its Chair for the past three years.

Currently, Steve serves as President of the Mountain Star Homeowners’ Association, and has been for the past seven years. Thank you, Steve!

Vail Resorts & Millennium Society Join Forces to help Youth Foundation

PARTNER HIGHLIGHT:The Vail Resorts ECHO program is leading the charge in creating a reverberating voice throughout the Vail Valley, shouting from the mountaintops that investing in children in this community is a priority. This weekend Rob Katz and Chris Jarnot, will lead a group of 50 young philanthropists from the Millennium Society for a great day on the mountain, while sharing insights about their important partnership with the Youth Foundation.

On February 6th, end a great day of skiing by joining Vail Resorts, Millennium Society and the Youth Foundation at Cucina Rustica in the Lodge at Vail, for a VIP après ski event at 3:00 pm, where you can participate in the launch of the 20.10 for KIDS Campaign and be eligible for a drawing for next year’s ski pass.
This year Vail Resorts is taking it to the next level by asking the community to step up by giving a $25,000 matching gift in support of the Youth Foundation’s 20.10 for KIDS Campaign. The 20.10 for KIDS Campaign is a grassroots effort to gain 2,010 pledges by the end of 2010 from community members who agree to contribute $20.10 each month to support PowerHours After School program, helping nearly 1,000 children have a safe and fun environment after school. By joining the 20.10 for KIDS Campaign on February 6th at Cucina Rustica, your matching contribution will go twice as far.

Innovative partnerships are needed to invest in opportunities and solutions for our resort community. The Vail Resorts ECHO program works with The Youth Foundation to deliver the programs that our community needs, and invests in the future of our youth. Vail Resorts’ understanding of the importance of after school programs have made this a natural partnership. Through volunteerism, charitable donations, and in-kind giving, Vail Resorts has been supporting programs of the Youth Foundation since 1998. Here are just a few examples of how Vail Resorts ECHO is heard throughout the Youth Foundation and the community:
•    Through the ECHO charitable giving program, the Youth Foundation has developed the Engaging Kids in Community Initiative, a program to teach children that everyone has gifts to share and should be part of creating a better future for our community through service learning.
•    By placing an emphasis volunteerism, Vail Resorts employees volunteer to read with children during the annual Read Across America Celebration, while Lodge at Vail staff and guests hosted a book drive to benefit the Youth Foundation’s Magic Bus program.
•    In 2010 the Vail Valley Foundation and Vail Resorts ECHO will launch the second Magic Bus, a program of the Youth Foundation, to double the number of families served by this kindergarten readiness program.

“We are so thankful to Vail Resorts for providing such outstanding support. With Vail Resorts contribution we can focus on enhancing our enrichment opportunities, ensuring that children have a safe and fun place to be during after school hours,” notes Katie Santambrogio, Marketing & Event Director for the Youth Foundation. For more information or to RSVP for the February 6th après ski event at Cucina Rustica, contact at (970) 763-7000.

From the Vail Mountain School News: Baskets for Bucks

Susie Davis, the executive director of the Youth Foundation, sent her warmest thanks to VMS upper school students and teachers for their work on MLK, Jr. Volunteerism Day. In her message, she said, "Your help for the Magic Bus curriculum, washing windows and projects in the field house, critiquing our fitness activities, and your insights about the plight of the Haitians all reminded us of how lucky we are to have your assistance and participation."

Susie challenged the group of volunteers to shoot basketball hoops to raise funds for Haitian relief. She said she would match each hoop with $1 and send the money to organizations of the students' choice. Thanks to our students' b-ball skills and Susie's generosity, $312 has been donated to Doctors Without Borders, and another $312 gift has been made in honor of VMS students to local, Tessa Kirchner, who is going to Haiti with her father, Dr. Paul Milloy, to work at the Hospital Albert Schwietzer just north of Port-au-Prince (http://hashaiti.org/). This hospital has been helping the poor of this area for over 50 years, but is currently over-run with all the injuries from the earthquakes. They will be carrying supplies directly to the people who need this help.

Susie added, "I’ll remember to ask about your personal interests before I make such a pledge in the future – Willy Fair made 157 baskets alone!" Congratulations to the students who helped raise these funds, and thanks to Susie and the Youth Foundation for the incredible opportunity.