11 years and Raising the Bar
Setting your goals at stratospheric heights sounds a little crazy, but it’s a learned skill; a skill about risk and commitment to do BIG things. After the loss of our son Jake in 2013 and the formation of the Jake Foerster Music Arts Fund (JFMAF) soon after, the risk of setting the bar high was not in the mindset for me and my family.
11 years later, 80+ scholarships awarded, hundreds of hours dedicated and thousands of hugs, given or received, that first step forward has become miles of a rewarding mission that has serviced the students of our communities. That ‘bar’ continues to rise to heights we never imagined.
“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure,
you will fail above everyone else’s success.”
Today is Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada. It seems appropriate that I take time to remember not only the sacrifices of our nation’s veterans, but also of those unnamed corporations, community organizations, known individuals and random people who have been the backbone of philanthropic non-profit support the world over. Without this support, millions of programs, benefits, research and countless missions would not exist as they do today. I encourage you to start and/or keep donating to the organization that resonates with you the most. JFMAF is a ‘small fish’ in the non-profit realm of Colorado, but every scholarship we award can help make a ‘whale’ of a difference to a young student dreaming of a college education. The growth and footprint of a non-profit organization doesn’t happen overnight or without help. Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) has been an ongoing partner with JFMAF since 2018. The support JAS has given to JFMAF has increased the credibility and bandwidth of our nonprofit endeavors. It has helped expand the reach and depth of our mission in providing scholarships and music education to the Roaring Fork Valley and Colorado statewide.
On a community level, we would like to recognize our appreciation for our headlining partners; Alpine Bank, The Eisner Foundation, Elk Mountain Expeditions, Belly Up Aspen and Kissane Viola Design. Along with JAS, these organizations are the core of the JFMAF mission. We take great pride in our partnership and their continued commitment to create unique opportunities for the youth of our valley and state.
We acknowledge and thank all of you who continue to support our pursuit to give back and encourage all students to ‘shoot for the stars’. The risk to take those first steps, has become the reward.
Warmest Aloha,
EJ Foerster
Executive Director
Jakes Film and Music Arts Fund
