Wearing Three Hats and A Colorful Shirt at This Year's Color Run

At Saturday’s Color Run I found myself wearing three hats: that of a staff member, a volunteer and a runner (which led to my colorful shirt). As a part of the staff and as a volunteer, I was welcomed with open arms and quickly engaged in the morning’s activities. It was nice to see familiar faces of the SYF staff as I found my way through the plaza, to volunteer check-in and then to my assignment.

But the coolest part of the morning was when the volunteer coordinator asked for someone to run the course (“sweep the course”). I quickly volunteered, although admittedly I wasn’t really prepared to run the 3 miles (let alone, run it twice). But the spirit of the run, the volunteers and the colorful course made it easy. 

During the second time through the course, I started to make some connections between the work of SYF, the students and The Color Runners. That may sound strange, but it kept me entertained for a few miles. For example …

• Training: Some of the participants were running their first 5K and just like the students at the Academies, there is a lot of training (and preparation) that goes into finishing and succeeding.
• Support: Students get a lot of support from staff, teachers and administrators at the Simon Youth Academies – and while I doubt they hear hooting, hollering and get colors thrown on them, they are supported along the way. Just like the volunteers on the course who wanted the runners to succeed, there are a lot of Simon employees and supporters wanting to see students succeed too.
• Cutters and quitters: There were a few runners who I saw stop, cut corners and even quit. I can only imagine that there are times in their lives that these young students – many of whom are faced with insurmountable challenges, want to do the same. However, with the support they receive from SYF, they find a way to continue on.
• A celebration like no other: The finish line was a colorful, crazy and fun celebration. People lined up to cheer on their friends and family, pictures were taken to commemorate the memories and runners celebrated the finish. Again, as I tried to make a connection, I couldn’t help but think what an amazing celebration it must be for the students who have received $10 million in scholarships from SYF and for the 10,000 Academy students who train, prep, work hard and cross their own finish line.

So wearing my three hats again, I want to first say thank you to The Color Run for partnering with SYF; thank my volunteer partners who made my shift fun; and as a runner I want to thank everyone for truly making it a great experience.  The Color Run truly is the “happiest 5K” – and I have my colorful shirt to remember it!

Click here for a "colorful" look at more pictures from The Color Run!

Why We Do What We Do: A Graduate Profile

Diabetes didn’t stop this student from achieving success!

Since age five, her life has been different. She could have become angry or frustrated, but instead she chose to dream big. At age five, Jessica Kroner was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. At age seven, she decided she wanted to become a pediatric physician specifically to help children diagnosed with this disease.

Today, with the help of Simon Youth Foundation (SYF), Jessica is one step closer to making that childhood dream a reality.

Jessica is a recipient of SYF's Community Scholarship. SYF established the Community Scholarship to meet the financial needs of students in communities that host Simon shopping malls and centers. Jessica is a graduate of Nanuet Senior High School, NY, who received support and a scholarship from The Shops at Nanuet, NY. Next month, she will head to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. She plans to major in Biology/Pre-Med.

“With this generous amount, I will be able to pursue my lifetime goal as well as further my education without the extra financial stress and worry,” said Jessica. “I am grateful for the overwhelming support from the Simon Youth Foundation, thank you.”

Every year in the United States, 13,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and more than 1 million American kids and adults deal daily with the disease.

While type 1 diabetes can be challenging to live with, Jessica has focused on diabetes management, living her life and helping others in any way possible. Everyone at SYF is happy to help contribute to Jessica’s education and to support her dream of becoming a pediatrician. Our hope for Jessica – and all of our young students, is that the scholarships we are able to award will help them start with their goals and go anywhere. For Jessica, we hope it will be the start of her goal to helping children with diabetes and maybe even working to help find a cure!

Igniting hope for 15 years, Simon Youth Foundation has dispersed more than $10 million in scholarships and graduated more than 10,000 at-risk students in Simon Youth Academies. Jessica is one of the many deserving youth people who are able to pursue their dreams to attend college or another post-secondary institution with the help of SYF.

A Colorful SYF Volunteer

If you heard a “whoot, whoot” along The Color Run course last year, odds were it came from one of SYF’s most enthusiastic volunteers, Melody Biddle. Melody worked at the water station at the halfway mark, where she hopes to be again on Saturday. Melody returns to The Color Run as a SYF volunteer – this year as a Captain of Fun.

Melody had so much fun last year; she’s coming back this year – and encourages others to join her. As the Indianapolis charity partner of the happiest 5K on the planet, SYF recruits and organizes more than 100 volunteers for The Color Run. SYF volunteers help with everything from runner check-in, water stations and applying colored powder onto runners as they pass through four different stations - pink, blue, yellow and orange. Volunteers are still needed for the event.

According to Melody, volunteering for The Color Run is not only fun and colorful, but meaningful. Sure you’ll see the wild costumes, silly socks and crazy headbands, but you’ll also hear emotional stories of why some of these runners run. And for Melody, the morning is also about connecting with SYF and its mission to support students who are at-risk of dropping out of school. 

“I did my best to rouse the runners with shouts of ‘You are halfway there....can I get a WOOT WOOT!?’ to help encourage them throughout the run,” said Melody. “It was so rewarding to see the runners light up and get re-energized as they came through the water station.”

“For me, volunteering for The Color Run is really about a sense of helping and feeling like I’ve helped someone along the course – similar to what SYF is doing for kids every day,” said Melody. “At the end of the day, we’re all trying to encourage and support people who need a little motivation.”

Melody has worked at Simon for the past seven years and is a Utility Billing Specialist - Energy Billing. She enjoys the opportunity to volunteer with – and share her volunteer experiences with her co-workers.

“Volunteering has the added benefit of allowing you to get to know other employees as well as other volunteers from the community,” shared Melody. “Aside from having fun and networking, we all have a great time encouraging others, getting to know one another better, and leaving with a sense of having done something to help someone else.”

According to Brandi Young, SYF Senior Director for Advancement, Melody is an organization’s dream volunteer. “She’s our most enthusiastic, positive – and in this case, ‘colorful’ volunteer. She goes above and beyond in her volunteer duties and in her support of SYF.”

Click here if you would like to sign up to volunteer for The Color Run. If you can’t volunteer for this event, consider joining SYF throughout the year as the organization ignites hope in at-risk youth. Contact Brandi Young, 317-263-7694 for more information on other volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Why We Do What We Do: A Graduate Profile

Ben, a recent high school graduate from Brewster High School and 2013 SYF Community Scholarship winner from Jefferson Valley Mall, reminds us that the work we do really does help dreams become reality. As he shared in a letter to us: “When I am writing scores for films in Kyoto, Japan, 10 years from now, I will look back with great appreciation to the Mall Management Team. You helped realize my dream and the dreams of so many others.”

Growing up, Ben watched his parents change career paths from artists to entrepreneurs. But their “non-tangential path” of starting a small CPR education company led to financial troubles. Ben recalls a time when their family bank account fell to $40. His aunt, Meg, described Ben’s childhood as ‘growing up with a looming peril always over his head.’ Not to be discouraged, the family overcame their trials and tribulations with hard work, dedication and a commitment to succeed. Ben credits his own strong ethics to those he learned from his parents.

In school, Ben flourished academically, artistically and socially. In addition to focusing on his classwork, Ben focused on performing arts extracurricular activities: chorus, theatre, marching band, orchestra and National Honors Society. As the only male member and captain of the Brewster High School marching band, Ben led the band through the streets of Dublin, Ireland, in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. He also received a leadership award from the Gay Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a national organization, for his work as president of the Gay Straight Alliance in his high school.

In his junior year, Ben discovered an interest in music theory. Combining music theory with his love of Anime, Japanese animation that often covers more serious topics than the typical animation, Ben visualized his goal to compose music for Anime. For that past year, he has worked on his portfolio and has created three original scores for a variety of instruments. He has plans to master the Japanese language so he can create musical scores in Japanese.

With the scholarship money he received from Simon Youth Foundation, Ben will attend Bard College, a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

“Without your generous scholarship, I would not be able to attend Bard,” shared Ben. “It was you, those of the Simon Youth Foundation Scholarship Board of Directors, who recognized and supported my endeavors to create music and master the Japanese language.”

SYF’s message to Ben: 幸運 (kouun, pronounced "koh-oon") = good luck!

Igniting hope for 15 years, Simon Youth Foundation has dispersed more than $10 million in scholarships and graduated more than 10,000 at-risk students in Simon Youth Academies. Ben is one of the many deserving youth people who are able to pursue their dreams to attend college or another post-secondary institution with the help of SYF.

Tees for Education was a success in FORE big ways

Last week, Simon Youth Foundation benefited from the 6^th Annual Tees for Education golf scramble to raise funds for its two major initiatives: Simon Youth Academies and Simon Youth Scholarships. While there was much to celebrate as our foursomes hit the links at The Legends of Indiana Golf Club, we consider these FORE to be among the top:

1.     Raised awareness about SYF’s work: On the greens and in between swings, SYF staff members were able to educate participants about the important work we are doing to ignite hope through educational opportunities for students who are at risk of dropping out of high school.

2.     Raised significant funds for scholarships: This year’s event raised a record-breaking $34,000, allowing us to provide more scholarships to more students who are on their journey toward lifetime success and achievement.

3.     Made new friends who are igniting hope: Tees for Education brings out an extremely generous group of supporters, including corporate donors, sponsors and individuals from across the country. We appreciate the support of so many sponsors – those who join us year after year, and those who joined us for the first time. A special thank you to our Title Sponsor: Simplex Grinnell and Eagle Sponsors: Hayes and Sons and VCC.

4.     Made a difference in the lives of students: In the time it took this year’s golfers to play their round, more than 450 high school students dropped out of high school. Simon Youth Foundation answers this epidemic through our programs that help youth graduate, develop life skills, and pursue post-secondary education career paths.

Our special thanks to Beth Jennings and Jack Johnson who were tireless volunteer co-chairs for this event. This year takes on a special meaning to us as Simon Youth Foundation celebrates its 15^th Anniversary, its 10,000^th graduate and surpasses the milestone of providing more than $10 million in scholarships. Thank you for being a part of that – on and off the greens!

More about Simon Youth Foundation programs and events can be found at syf.org.