Newsletter Q3 2023
Dear Friend of Nick Would,
Thanks for being part of the Nick Would Foundation! We have lots of exciting news to share and are honored for all the support we’ve received in the Foundation’s inaugural year. Here’s a recap from our Nick Would Foundation Q3 Newsletter:
VIP TENT AT THE GREYBOY ALLSTARS CONCERT:
The Summer Concert Series featuring the Greyboy Allstars event was a great success, bringing hundreds of Nick’s family and friends to town while raising funding for the Foundation. With a VIP tent for the Foundation, this event perfectly ticked the “artistic development” aspect of the foundation’s mission. As the band belted out some of the best soul-jazz sounds of the year, friends and family gathered to connect, smile, and remember Nicholas Simon. Nick would have been first in line to jam to the music and the Nick Would Foundation was proud to be a part of it. We even gave out Nick Would schwag, including orange bracelets, koozies and stickers, all quickly gobbled up by Nick Would Foundation supporters. We’re happy to report that this event raised over $25,000 for the Foundation and we’re so grateful for this generosity. We will plan something similar next year.
A RIDE FOR NICK:
Nick’s buddy Ryan Doherty (“Rydoh”) accomplished something monumental, inspiring, and heart-warming in honor of Nick: He set out from Vancouver, Canada, on June 3, 2023, cycling on Highway 1 all the way to Mexico. This was a trip that Rydoh and Nick discussed doing together, and Rydoh went for it solo. With Nick’s music playing in his earbuds, a photo of Nick on his handlebars, and a wooden sign reading “Go Fund Me/A Ride 4 Nick Canada to Mexico” on the back of his bike, on August 2, 2023, after 8 ½ weeks on the road, he pedaled into Mexico with his hands in the air. We could not be more proud of him and are forever grateful for this amazing gesture of love. We are humbled and happy to report that his GoFundMe has raised $12,560 since September 27. To read about his trip and donate, visit his GoFundMe page: A Ride 4 Nick. Rydoh continues to raise even more funds by selling “A Ride 4 Nick” T-shirts with the proceeds going directly into the Nick Would Foundation. He is truly a champion. Purchase a shirt at this link here (they’re super cool).
MEDIA:
Thanks to some amazing articles printed in the last few months, the Nick Would Foundation remains in the spotlight and stays at the forefront. Featuring Nick’s story, a recent article in The Colorado Sun discusses how memorial funds started in the wake of family tragedy help fund causes that keep the legacy of their loved ones alive while benefiting others. A second article published in The Steamboat Pilot tells a very personal story of Nick’s life while promoting the Nick Would Foundation. Both articles generated a new surge of donations and we are incredibly grateful for this positive press that keeps Nick’s story and the Foundation front and center. It is our donors that enable us to share the stoke and spread the love.
NICK WOULD BENCH AND PADDLE OUT AT WINDANSEA BEACH IN LA JOLLA, CA:
We are grateful to our close friends in La Jolla, California, for creating a memorial bench at Windansea Beach facing the same sunsets Nick and his family have loved since the day Nick was born. This beach is where Nick’s passion for the ocean began and now everyone who sits on the bench and stares out at the sea will feel his spirit soar. There will be a paddle-out for spreading Nick’s ashes at Windansea on October 22 at 3:00 PM PT.
We hope to see you there!
NICK WOULD FOUNDATION BALL CAPS:
We are excited to announce that a local Steamboat store, West Lyfe, will soon sell Nick Would Foundation ballcaps. A lifestyle and sustainable clothing company, their mission is to support organizations that protect and preserve wild land, a passion of Nick’s and a pillar of the Nick Would Foundation. With 40% of the proceeds going directly to the Nick Would Foundation, it’s the perfect place to sell these hats, and we are proud to be partnered with them. Even better? The caps will be available for the holidays (the perfect gift!). Look for them soon at West Lyfe or the Nick Would Foundation.
NICK’S 26TH BIRTHDAY:
Nicholas would have turned 26 on September 30, 2023. As one might imagine, this day was very tough on his family and friends with the lack of his bright, beautiful presence. Nick loved his birthday and celebrated it well. We missed his laugh, his smile, his infectious spirit more on this day than any other. But through the tears, we reminded ourselves that he would want us to pull ourselves up and go do something joyous to celebrate his big day, so we did just that.
Dan and Sarah attended one of his best friend’s (Joe Deline) sister’s wedding on Nick’s birthday. It was held at Joe’s family ranch in Rand, Colorado, one of Nick’s favorite places on the planet. Listen to the song “Park View” on Nick’s Spotify playlist, whose lyrics illustrate how much this place meant to Nick. At the wedding, Joe’s sister honored Nick by playing Park View and El Cap during the wedding procession. She also had a table with a framed picture of Nick captioned "In loving memory of Nicholas who cannot be here today, but is forever in our hearts."
Meanwhile, Natalie, Brooke, and many of Nick’s friends from Steamboat, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo honored Nick’s birthday by gathering at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival in San Francisco —a favorite event of Nick’s. They were all together with Nick at this event last year as he rang in on his 25th birthday, so it felt right to gather together again and celebrate Nick this year. The festival is located in Golden Gate Park, which borders Ocean Beach—an iconic surf wave Nick consistently surfed while visiting the city. He loved that the festival was free and open to all who wanted to dance and enjoy the live music.
While Nick was deeply missed throughout the weekend, his presence was undoubtedly alive and touching to each who was there to celebrate. If he had hand-picked the music lineup for this weekend, it would have been the exact lineup that occurred. With headliners such as Steve Earl, Niel Francis, Valerie June, and Emmylou Harris, the entire group celebrated with cold beers and good tunes. One of the most beautiful aspects of Nick’s birthday was that friends and family who don’t often get to see one another, were brought together in memory of Nick.
CALL TO ACTION:
With the hope of growing the Nick Would Foundation all across the world, the board asks that you submit photos of the Nick Would stickers slapped somewhere special to you, which will be featured in the Nick Would Foundation Instagram’s monthly #NickWouldWorldWide post.
Please share these here!
Additionally, if you have an awesome, funny, or meaningful story with Nick, please #shareyourstory for an Instagram highlight to keep Nick’s light alive.
Submit your stories here!
2023 DONATIONS/FINANCIAL REVIEW:
We are thrilled to report that the Nick Would Foundation has raised over $290,000 in 11 months, with $33,000 between July 1 and September 23, allowing us to continue making charitable donations that help keep Nick’s legacy alive by funding wildland exploration and preservation, outdoor pursuits, and artistic development. Grants bequeathed in 2023 include $3,500 to Friends of the Yampa to support scholarships for Youth River Camps; $2,500 to Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports, joining an additional $15,000 through fundraising efforts; $9,000 to the Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series; $4,000 to California’s Windansea Surf Club/Me Water Foundation, which teaches youths and those with physical disabilities how to surf; and $3,000 to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to fund athlete participation. Plans in 2024 also include funding a ski video competition for aspiring filmmakers. The Foundation plans to donate over $20,000 in 2024, enabling countless people to experience wildlands, pursue something special outdoors, and/or expand their artistic talents, all in honor of Nick.
BIG YEAR AHEAD:
With 2023 coming to a close, the momentum continues with the Nick Would Foundation making big plans for 2024. In our quarterly board meetings, we’re formulating plans for upcoming fundraising efforts and have determined the causes to which we will donate. More to come as we nail these plans down.
Thank you to all for your generous and unwavering support. We couldn't do this without you and we are forever grateful. As Nick would say, YEWWWWWW!!!