First Annual RPH Memorial Foundation Fundraiser Update.

When our family first started talking about finding a way to honor Ryan’s memory, we had little concept of where that discussion might take us.

We knew we wanted to at least initiate some type of annual event to bring together his family and friends, but we had hopes of turning into something “more” — something that would serve a lasting, greater purpose.

So, with that thought in mind we began the process of forming a charitable foundation and outlining a mission statement focused on making a positive difference for causes that mattered to Ryan. And that was the inception of the RPH Memorial Foundation.

The love and support that all of you showed us at our first event back in November was nothing short of amazing. While the prospect of moving this forward is in some ways scary and intimidating, the encouragement and validation we have received from you and all others who came out to support our first gathering has reinforced our belief that we are on the right path — a course that Ryan would be proud of.

Together, with your contributions and involvement, our humble gathering of friends raised more than $7,000 that we will use as seed money for both supporting causes Ryan would approve of and laying the groundwork for future events and activities.

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With the formation of an organization that bears Ryan’s initials comes great responsibility, so we are proceeding cautiously as we decide how to best use the funds raised. The few months since the event was a time filled with significant days with special memories attached, and we took most of that time simply to reflect on the journey we have shared and where we go from here.

Going forward, it’s going to be our mission to try and support the causes Ryan cared most deeply about. Key among those was a concern for the daily personal struggles of cancer patients, so we are going to find a way to make that one of our main priorities. It’s also one of the most challenging goals for a start-up organization such as ours, in terms of having the ability to find and evaluate those with urgent, unmet needs. So, we are consulting with other organizations to create a process for doing that. We welcome your input as well.

Since entering the world of “surviving spouses,” Carly has found that the support group options for younger widows and widowers are somewhere on the verge of nonexistent. She’d like to do something to change that. The concept is to develop and/or fund grief support options for those under 40. Finding common ground with those in similar situations is invaluable to the grief process. Not to minimize another’s experience with loss, but the perspective of those who lose a spouse at a young age is much different than a loss experienced at a later stage in life. And since there are fewer of them, they find it harder to connect with those whose experiences most relate to theirs. We will be looking for ways to fill that void.

Ryan was a kind, thoughtful and sentient human who had a general aversion to inequity of any form. There were many things he cared about, deeply. Those of you who had the good fortune to know him probably understand that well. We can’t possibly or practically support them all, but here are a few that are the most prominent on our radar, based on Ryan’s interests and beliefs.

First Descents — In the early stages of his cancer journey, Ryan applied to and was accepted for participation in an adventure camp run by an organization called First Descents. The week he spent at the camp was so influential that it basically shaped the course of how he approached the entirety of his remaining life.

Genetics research and counseling — Ryan had an extremely rare genetic-based cancer. There are a limited number of emerging immunotherapies being credited with helping to extend survival time. But due to the rarity of the disease and the corresponding lack of clinical data, progress is agonizingly slow. Anything resembling a cure more likely lies in the emerging field of gene modification or gene editing, which, understandably, still sounds like science fiction to many. Ryan saw that as encouraging hope for a cure, but not anywhere in his lifetime or the near future. At this point we just want to help find ways to advance that discussion.

Terry Fox Foundation — Seems like an odd one, maybe, because likely only the older ones among us remember its genesis and Terry’s harrowing and heartbreaking, yet thoroughly inspiring, “Marathon of Hope” along the Trans Canada Highway. Fox died a full generation before Ryan was born, but once he learned Terry’s story, they shared a kindred existence. Terry’s legacy of supporting cancer research lives on through the foundation bearing his name.

Anything pets — Again, anyone who knew Ryan and his affection for his beloved Moose and furry nephew and niece, JD and Crystal, is not surprised that the plight of shelter animals was something that weighed heavily on him. So, if we can help support local shelters in some manner, we think we would also be honoring his legacy.

Thank you again for being there for us. We look forward to keeping you informed on our giving activity and future events by email, on social media and on our website.