Haines residents Chip and Heather Lende have donated $25,000 to the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation for a new fund to support local fitness and wellness programs. The Rasmuson Foundation will match that donation as part of its 2020 Matching Funds Campaign.
Grants will be awarded to eligible nonprofits from the Chilkat Valley Fitness and Wellness Fund to support “educational/training programs and projects that promote physical and mental wellness for all ages and abilities,” according to the foundation’s website.
Heather Lende said she was inspired to make the donation by local philanthropist Lucy Harrell. “She’s always saying ‘You can’t take (money) with you,’ and I see how much difference that makes in the community. Fitness and wellness, these are things Chip and I have been doing our whole life. Haines values recreation and we don’t really have a funding source for it.”
Anna Jurgeleit, foundation board co-chair, said the “field of interest fund” will be endowed so the community can continue to give to it. Donors can choose to directly contribute to the fund. “This highlights an opportunity that donors can fund programs that are important to them,” said Chip Lende.
An advisory board of the foundation will recommend grant awards from the fund to directly benefit the Chilkat Valley. The grant application cycle opens in August.
“The potential, as this fund grows, will not only help existing programs grow, but will also assist in new events that would bring direct economic benefits to our community, like the Kluane to Chilkat Bike Race does now, or the new Chilkat Challenge Triathlon Race,” Jurgeleit said.
Board co-chair Carolyn Ganner added that the current 2020 Matching Fund Campaign launched earlier this year means donations go twice as far. The Rasmuson Foundation made a commitment to match all donations dollar-for-dollar this year through 2020, up to $185,000.
Heather said as grandparents, she and Chip had been considering what to leave to Haines. “This is a way to have a lasting impact on the community,” Heather said. “It’s not political, everybody gets out and moves around. I hope it grows and I have a feeling that it will.”
Learn more about the fund at https://alaskacf.org/blog/funds/chilkat-valley-fitness-wellness-fund/.