The 2021 Annual Report shares the impact of Richie's Spirit Foundation this year and the organization's vision for the year to come.
Love Joy Dadulo Richards, one of six HBCU Organ and Tissue Donation Advocacy Scholarship winners, is a Licensed Practical Nurse and a student at the University of the Virgin Islands pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. As a dialysis nurse, Love Joy has seen the incredible impact of organ donation on the lives of her patients and their families.
Ashis Dhakal, a senior from Salt Lake City, made difficult decisions alongside his family to escape poverty and illness, and pursue a better life. Relocating as a refugee was challenging as he faced inequity in a Nepali refugee camp, with limited access to basic needs. Motivated by his own experiences and to uphold his value of service, Ashis decided it was his mission to make a difference in the lives of those affected by extreme poverty. Richie’s Spirit Foundation recognizes Ashis Dhakal as the First Place Winner of the 2021 Significant Challenge Scholarship!
Years of treatment and multiple surgeries did not stop Nathan Marohn, a graduating senior from Stevensville, Michigan, from fulfilling his role as a community leader. With a motivation to transform lives, he resiliently met the challenges of his medical condition to advocate for the Ulcerative Colitis community. Richie’s Spirit Foundation recognizes Nathan as the Second Place Winner for the 2021 Significant Challenge Scholarship.
After realizing there were no established programs to connect children with chronic illnesses like her, Alexandra Crocker dedicated her time to build a support system for others who were in search of acceptance and encouragement throughout their health journey. From this deep-willed mission to transform the lives of families like hers, Fighting H.A.R.D was born to “provide physical, emotional, social, and financial help to families of children impacted by rare diseases and chronic illnesses.” Read more about Alexandra’s story!
Richie's Spirit Foundation received a $10,000 grant from Joyful Blessings Foundation in June 2015. This is follow-up funding from a previous two grants of the same amount made in 2013 and 2014.
In the midst of the holiday season of 2013, Richie's Spirit Foundation Executive Director, Jordan Herskowitz,
Richie's Spirit Foundation's and official corporate partner, ManiCare, received national attention with a feature in the New York Daily News, one of New York City's leading print newspapers. In the article, RSF was named as a leading charity partner of the business.
Richie's Spirit Foundation presented the First Annual Plano Senior High School College Scholarship to Ms. Geneva Werner. Ms. Werner is a senior at Plano Senior High School in Plano, TX, where Richie was a student. She will receive $1,000 towards her future education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
May 21, 2007 is a day that will forever be etched in the memory of Jazmin Carpenter, a finalist for the 2015 Richie's Spirit Foundation Significant Challenge College Scholarship Program. It was on this day that Jazmin's older brother, then 16, committed suicide.
"Unbeknownst to me, my brother had been a victim of bullying since elementary school," Jazmin wrote.
For the years that followed, Jazmin struggled with the loss, but became inspired by the difference just one person can make in the lives of so many others. Turning her grief into action, Jazmin soon began volunteering for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). She believes that others can learn from her brother's story and his adversities and that she can be the change agent to creating different outcomes.
"The experience I have gained from the loss of my brother ended up bringing a world of positive change," she continued. "My grief has granted me the ability to properly emphathize with those around me, even if their problems are different from mine."
Jazmin, hailing from Anacortes, WA, plans to attend The University of Washington to pursue a degree in the social sciences. She remains an active volunteer for the AFSP, participates in Key Club, a volunteer outreach program, and is a member of National Honors Society. She is one of seven finalists for the 2015 Richie's Spirit Foundation Significant Chanllenge College Scholarship Program. Winners, to be announced in June, will receive a total of $3,500 in financial aid to future their educational interests.
To learn more about the Richie's Spirit Foundation College Scholarhsip Program, please click here.
Elizabeth Pempek, from Appleton, Wisconsin, learned the importance and value of hard work at a young age. For the majority of her childhood, she and her family were homeless, moving constantly and relying on the generosity of the church and local aid organizations. Despite this challenge, Ms. Pempek stayed focused on a solution and was determined to help to s
The Fourth Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament Presented by WINGSTOP was held on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Recreational Sports Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. More than $3,000 was raised to support Richie's Spirit Foundation's mission to promote organ donation to people of all ages.
Hosted by the UT Chapter of the fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi),
Richie's Spirit Foundation is proud to partner with WINGSTOP for the upcoming Fourth Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament on Sunday, April 12th. WINGSTOP is the tournament's Presenting Sponsor and will provide a monetary contribution along with give-a-ways and t-shirts for participants.
Hosted by Texas AEPi, the tournament will welcome students from the University of Texas at Austin to participate in a double-elimination tournament. Winners will receive various prize packages, including one sponsored by Pandora Internet Radio!
Donate Life of Texas will be on-site at the event to encourage participants to register as organ donors and will share facts and information about the benefits of organ donation. Did you know that one organ donor can save up to eight lives?
To learn more about the Fourth Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament, presented by WINGSTOP, please click here.
Richie's Spirit Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes organ donation to people of all ages through education awareness programs, grants to honor Richie's memory, and inspiring others to live life with a positive spirit. To learn more, please click here.
