The saying goes that every dark cloud has a silver lining, but here at the Club we feel that we have been blessed with rainbows to light up our dark days over the past year.

 

Two of those rainbows have been our incredible donors and the members that they have supported.  One year ago we launched Team AWESOME and the response has been amazing.  We had already done the groundwork to update our annual giving campaign prior to the pandemic, but when it became apparent that COVID was here for the long haul, we quickly adapted Team AWESOME to focus on our food program and scholarships.

 

The generosity of the community (and their overwhelming desire for socks!) was incredible and very quickly Team AWESOME out did any previous annual donations.  Thanks to individuals giving between $1 and $1000, and Foundations and PTA groups also chipping in, we have been able to give over $10,000 in scholarships in just the past 9 months.  All our scholarship recipients have been families or single parents who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.  Many have lost jobs or had their income severely reduced, while others have seen rent increases or have struggled to meet increased costs due to their children being out of school.

 

“Receiving a scholarship from the Club has been such a blessing.  I’m so thankful to all the community members who have donated to the Club.  This has helped my family so much during this very hard time”.  Mom of two.

 

The idea behind Team AWESOME was not only to let our donors know that they are awesome!  But also to bring our giving campaign in line with our Club philosophy.  Any member at the Club will tell you that they are awesome.  Not only is this an important self-affirmation but it also speaks to the morals and standards we live by at Club.

 

AWESOME stands for:

 

Accountable for my actions
Welcoming to all
Everyone is valued
Safe and supportive
Open and honest
Make smart choices
Excited for fun

 

 

And our members have been awesome this past year.  Their strength, resiliency, good humor, inventiveness, creativity and kindness has been a joy to behold and having them with us all day has been a highlight of the pandemic.  We shall miss them when they finally return to school 5 days a week.

 

However, the need for scholarships will not stop then.  Costs in Tahoe have risen incredibly in the past year and have not been matched by an increase in wages.  All our families are finding that they have to do more with less, and as we at the Club also try to keep pace and give our staff a living wage, the importance of scholarships is only going to increase.

 

You can help to keep our members AWESOME by renewing your Team AWESOME membership or joining for the first time.  Donations can be made annually or monthly and donations over $25 will receive a pair of our amazing Team AWESOME socks.  Regular donations will receive other thanks over the course of the year.  No donation is too small or too large and will play a vital part in helping our community recover and our children in a safe and awesome place.